Abstract
Abstract The penetration of planetary waves across a southern boundary of a subtropical gyre is investigated with emphasis on the effects of a zonally varying thermocline structure and circulation. A two-layer planetary geostrophic model is used. The governing equation is quasi-linear and is solved analytically by the method of characteristics. It is found that the zonal variation of the thermocline structure alters both the effective β and the wave front orientation substantially. As a result, the wave penetration across a gyre boundary is changed significantly. The penetration differs for interfaces at different depths: for an interface near the surface, part of the waves penetrate into the equatorial region; for middle depths, most waves will be trapped within the subtropical gyre; in contrast, for deeper depths, all waves penetrate southward.
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