On Topographic Pressure Drag in a Zonal Channel

Publication Status is "Submitted" Or "In Press: 
LDEO Publication: 
Publication Type: 
Year of Publication: 
1994
Editor: 
Journal Title: 
Journal of Marine Research
Journal Date: 
Jan
Place Published: 
Tertiary Title: 
Volume: 
52
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
1-23
Section / Start page: 
Publisher: 
ISBN Number: 
0022-2402
ISSN Number: 
Edition: 
Short Title: 
Accession Number: 
ISI:A1994MZ78300001
LDEO Publication Number: 
Call Number: 
Abstract: 

The effect of bottom topography H on the barotropic transport in a periodic zonal channel is studied. An asymptotic approximation is found for the zonal transport on an f-plane and a beta-plane when all f/H isolines are blocked by the zonal walls. It is shown that to leading order, the zonal channel transport is independent of friction. In this it is similar to the Sverdrup transport in a basin. To leading order, the transport is proportional to the bottom topographic wavelength, and inversely proportional to the height of the topography and to R, the range of values of f/H that exists on both sides of the channel. For sufficiently high topography the transport varies inversely with the topographic height squared. The analytic results are verified by numerical experiments.

Notes: 

Mz783Times Cited:24Cited References Count:22

DOI: