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Critical levels in a jet-type flow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2006

Hector Teitelbaum  and
Hennie Kelder
Hector Teitelbaum
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique du C.N.R.S., École Polytechnique, 91128 Palaisseau Cedex, France
Hennie Kelder
Affiliation:
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Division of Geophysics, P.O. Box 201, 3730 Ae de Bilt, The Netherlands
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Abstract

The reflection and transmission of a gravity wave propagating through a jet-type background flow is studied. Only the linear, non-dissipative case is treated, and the hydrostatic approximation used in a stratified non-rotating medium. The behaviour of the gravity wave in the presence of two or one critical levels is investigated. In the first case, i.e. two critical levels, it is found that for high values of the Richardson number the wave is highly attenuated. For sufficiently low values of the Richardson number overreflection and overtransmission occur. It is demonstrated that a wave generated below the jet and propagating upward takes energy from the mean flow at the upper critical level for all values of the Richardson number. The single critical level has been studied as a limiting case of two merging critical levels. In this approach it is found that the wave is not transmitted and no overreflection can occur.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 159 , October 1985 , pp. 227 - 240
Copyright
© 1985 Cambridge University Press

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