Stratified Boussinesq Research Articles

Wave propagation through a stationary field of clouds: A homogenisation approach

AbstractThe effect of a subgrid‐scale cloud field on the propagation of long atmospheric waves is investigated using a new scale‐consistent formulation based on the asymptotic theory of homogenisation. A key aim is to quantify potential model errors in wave propagation speeds, introduced by using averaged fields in place of the fully resolved circulation, in the setting of a simple stratified Boussinesq midlatitude ‐channel model. The effect of the cloud field, represented here by a random array of strongly nonlinear axisymmetric circulations, is found to appear in the large‐scale governing equations through new terms which redistribute the large‐scale buoyancy and horizontal momentum fields in the vertical. These new terms, which have the form of nonlocal integral operators, are linear in the cloud number density and are fully determined by the solution of a linear elliptic equation known as a cell problem. The cell problem in turn depends on the details of the nonlinear cloud circulations. The integral operators are calculated explicitly for example cloud fields and then dispersion relations are compared for different waves in the presence of clouds at realistic densities. The main finding is that baroclinic Rossby waves are significantly slowed and damped by the clouds, whilst inertia–gravity waves are affected almost exclusively by damping, most strongly at the lowest frequencies. In contrast, all waves with a barotropic structure are found to be almost unaffected by the presence of clouds, even at the highest realistic cloud densities. An important consequence of this study is a new approach to the closure of subgrid‐scale cloud fields in the parameterisation of convection in large‐scale atmospheric models.

Asymptotic stability and sharp decay rates to the linearly stratified Boussinesq equations in horizontally periodic strip domain

We consider an initial boundary value problem of the multi-dimensional Boussinesq equations in the absence of thermal diffusion with velocity damping or velocity diffusion under the stress free boundary condition in horizontally periodic strip domain. We prove the global-in-time existence of classical solutions in high order Sobolev spaces satisfying high order compatibility conditions around the linearly stratified equilibrium, the convergence of the temperature to the asymptotic profile, and sharp decay rates of the velocity field and temperature fluctuation in all intermediate norms based on spectral analysis combined with energy estimates. To the best of our knowledge, our results provide first sharp decay rates for the temperature fluctuation and the vertical velocity to the linearly stratified Boussinesq equations in all intermediate norms.

Rotation-dominant three-scale limit of the Cauchy problem to the inviscid rotating stratified Boussinesq equations

In this paper, we investigate the rotation-dominant three-scale singular limit of the initial-value problem to the inviscid rotating stratified Boussinesq equations. We first prove a dispersive decay estimate for the linear propagator of that limit regime, which requires novel techniques involving an elaborate frequency cut-off since the phase function is degenerate on both horizontal and vertical directions in some areas. Using the dispersive decay estimate, we then investigate rigorously the rotation-dominant limit of local strong solutions to Boussinesq equations with ill-prepared initial data. The limiting system is shown to be the two-dimensional incompressible Euler equations coupled with a two-dimensional transport equation but in three spatial dimensions.

Near resonant approximation of the rotating stratified Boussinesq system on a 3-torus

Based on a novel treatment of near resonances, we introduce a new approximation for the rotating stratified Boussinesq system on three-dimensional tori with arbitrary aspect ratios. The rotation and stratification parameters are arbitrary and not equal. We obtain global existence for the proposed nonlinear system for arbitrarily large initial data. This system is sufficiently accurate, with an important feature of coupling effects between slow and fast modes. The key to global existence is a sharp counting of the relevant number of nonlinear interactions. An additional regularity advantage arises from a careful examination of some mixed type interaction coefficients. In a wider context, the significance of our near resonant approach is a delicate balance between the inclusion of more interacting modes and the improvement of regularity properties, compared to the well-studied singular limit approach based on exact resonance.

Inertial instabilities of stratified jets: Linear stability theory

This paper uses a linear stability analysis to investigate instabilities of barotropic and baroclinic jets that satisfy the necessary condition for inerital instabilities within the context of a rotating, stratified Boussinesq model. First, we review the different types of instabilities that can occur in these jets and the conditions that make the jet subject to inertial instability but stable to Rayleigh–Taylor instability. Second, we numerically solve one-dimensional and two-dimensional eigenvalue problems for the linear stability problems and examine the dependence of the growth rates on the Rossby number, Burger number, the aspect ratio, and the Reynolds number. We find that there are two critical Reynolds numbers where there is a transition between what type of instability has the largest growth rate. Finally, we examine the characteristics of inertial instabilities in more detail for three selected parameter sets: a low Reynolds number regime, a high Reynolds number regime, and a regime with low Reynolds number and larger aspect ratio. The most unstable mode in the low Reynolds number regime is a barotropic–baroclinic instability and has a barotropic spatial structure. In contrast, the most unstable mode in the high Reynolds number regime is an inertial instability and its spatial structure is independent of the along-flow direction. Modes with this property are commonly referred to as symmetric instabilities. In the intermediate regime, the flow can be unstable to both barotropic–baroclinic and inertial instabilities, possibly with comparable growth rates.

Stratified Boussinesq equations with a velocity damping term

We consider an initial value problem of the multi-dimensional Boussinesq equations with velocity damping for strongly stratified fluids. We prove the global-in-time existence of the classical solution to the stratified damped Boussinesq equations with initial data near the stationary stratified solution . We also show the asymptotic stability of the solutions near the stratified solution and obtain the temporal decay for the fluid velocity and the temperature by providing estimates for the Green function associated with the linear operator in any dimension.

Destabilizing resonances of precessing inertia-gravity waves.

Instabilities in stratified precessing fluid are investigated. We extend the study by Mahalov [Phys. Fluids A 5, 891 (1993)0899-821310.1063/1.858635] in the stably stratified Boussinesq framework, with an external Coriolis force (with rate Ω_{p}) altering the base flow through the distortion of the circular streamlines of the unperturbed axially stratified rotating columns (with constant vorticity 2Ω.) It is shown that the inviscid part of the modified velocity flow (0,Ωr,-2ɛΩrsinφ) and buoyancy with gradient N^{2}(-2ɛcosφ,2ɛsinφ,1) are an exact solution of Boussinesq-Euler equations. Here (r,φ,z) is a cylindrical coordinate system, with ɛ=Ω_{p}/Ω being the Poincaré number and N the Brunt-Väisälä frequency. The base flow is transformed into a Cartesian coordinate system, and the stability of a superimposed perturbation is studied in terms of Fourier (or Kelvin) modes. The resulting Floquet system for the Fourier modes has three parameters: ɛ, N=N/Ω, and μ, which is the angle between the wave vector k and the solid-body rotation axis in the limit ɛ=0. In this limit, there are inertia-gravity waves propagating with frequency ±ω and the resonant cases are those for which 2ω=nΩ, n being an integer. We perform an asymptotic analysis to leading order in ɛ and characterize the destabilizing resonant case of order n=1 (i.e., the subharmonic instability) which exists and for 0≤N<Ω/2. In this range, the subharmonic instability remains the strongest with a maximal growth rate σ_{m}=[ɛ(5sqrt[15]/8)sqrt[1-4N^{2}]/(4-N^{2})]. Stable stratification acts in such a way as to make the subharmonic instability less efficient, so as it disappears for N≥0.5Ω. The destabilizing resonant cases of order n=2,3,4,5 are investigated in detail by numerical computations. The effect of viscosity on these instabilities is briefly addressed assuming the diffusive coefficients (kinematic and thermal) are equal. Likewise, we briefly investigate the case where N^{2}<0 and show that the instability associated to the mode with k_{3}=0 is the strongest.

On symmetric intrusions in a linearly stratified ambient: a revisit of Benjamin's steady-state propagation results

Previous studies have extended Benjamin's theory for an inertial steady-state gravity current of density $\rho _{c}$ in a homogeneous ambient fluid of density $\rho _{o} &lt; \rho _{c}$ to the counterpart propagation in a linearly stratified (Boussinesq) ambient (density decreases from $\rho _b$ to $\rho _{o}$ ). The extension is typified by the parameter $S = (\rho _{b}-\rho _{o})/(\rho _{c}-\rho _{o}) \in (0,1]$ , uses Long's solution for the flow over a topography to model the flow of the ambient over the gravity current, and reduces well to the classical theory for small and moderate values of $S$ . However, for $S=1$ , i.e. $\rho _b = \rho _c$ , which corresponds to a symmetric intrusion, various idiosyncrasies appear. Here attention is focused on this case. The control-volume analysis (balance of volume, mass, momentum and vorticity) produces a fairly compact analytical formulation, pending a closure for the head loss, and subject to stability criteria (no inverse stratification downstream). However, we show that plausible closures that work well for the non-stratified current (like zero head loss on the stagnation line, or zero vorticity diffusion) do not produce satisfactory results for the intrusion (except for some small ranges of the height ratio of current to channel, $a = h/H$ ). The reasons and insights are discussed. Accurate data needed for comparison with the theoretical model are scarce, and a message of this paper is that dedicated experiments and simulations are needed for the clarification and improvement of the theory.

Dispersive estimates for the inviscid rotating stratified Boussinesq equations in the stratification-dominant three-scale limit

A dispersive decay estimate is proven for the linear propagator of the three-scale rotating stratified Boussinesq equations in the stratification-dominant regime. Because the phase function of that propagator is both singular and degenerate, obtaining the estimate requires novel techniques involving cutting phase-space shells into several pieces and using different methods in each region. Using the decay estimate, we prove the long-time existence of solutions to the initial-value problem for the nonlinear equations and obtain a rate of convergence to the limit system and intermediate asymptotics.

Connecting large-scale velocity and temperature bursts with small-scale intermittency in stratified turbulence

Non-Gaussian statistics of large-scale fields are routinely observed in data from atmospheric and oceanic campaigns and global models. Recent direct numerical simulations (DNSs) showed that large-scale intermittency in stably stratified flows is due to the emergence of sporadic, extreme events in the form of bursts in the vertical velocity and the temperature. This phenomenon results from the interplay between waves and turbulent motions, affecting mixing. We provide evidence of the enhancement of the classical small-scale (or internal) intermittency due to the emergence of large-scale drafts, connecting large- and small-scale bursts. To this aim we analyze a large set of DNSs of the stably stratified Boussinesq equations over a wide range of values of the Froude number –1). The variation of the buoyancy field kurtosis with Fr is similar to (though with smaller values than) the kurtosis of the vertical velocity, both showing a non-monotonic trend. We present a mechanism for the generation of extreme vertical drafts and vorticity enhancements which follows from the exact equations for field gradients.

Quantifying mixing and available potential energy in vertically periodic simulations of stratified flows

Abstract

Stratification-dominant limit of the rotating stratified viscous Boussinesq equations with stress-free boundary

Stratification-dominant limit for weak solutions to the rotating stratified viscous Boussinesq equations with stress-free boundary is considered when the Froude number and Rossby number tend to zero. Convergence rate estimates are also obtained.

Three-scale singular limits of the rotating stratified Boussinesq equations

ABSTRACT Singular limits of the rotating stratified Boussinesq equations are considered as the Froude number and Rossby number tend to zero at different rates. The limiting dynamics are validated for the rotation-dominant and the stratification-dominant cases, respectively. Furthermore, the convergence rate estimates are obtained.

Low Froude and Rossby number three-scale singular limits of the rotating stratified Boussinesq equations

Singular limits of the rotating stratified Boussinesq equations with ill-prepared data are investigated when the Froude number and Rossby number tend to zero at different rates. The reduced systems are derived, respectively, for the rotation-dominant and stratification-dominant cases through the developed three-scale fast averaging method.

Diagnosing diabatic effects on the available energy of stratified flows in inertial and non-inertial frames

The concept of available energy in a stratified fluid is revisited from the point of view of non-canonical Hamiltonian systems. We show that the concept of available energy arises when we minimize the energy subject to the constraints associated with the existence of Lagrangian invariants. The non-canonical structure implies that there exists a class of dynamically equivalent Hamiltonians, related by a local (in phase space) gauge symmetry. A local diagnostic energy can be defined via the Hamiltonian density chosen imposing a specific gauge-fixing condition on the class of dynamically similar Hamiltonians. The gauge-fixing condition that we introduce selects a specific local diagnostic energy which is well suited to study the effect of diabatic processes on the evolution of the available energy. Non-inertial effects, which are notoriously elusive to capture within an energetic framework, are naturally included via conservation of potential vorticity. We apply the framework to stratified flows in inertial and non-inertial frames. For stratified Boussinesq flows, when the initial distribution of potential vorticity is even around the origin, our framework recovers the available potential energy introduced by Holliday &amp; McIntyre (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 107, 1981, pp. 221–225), and as such, depends only on the mass distribution of the flow. In rotating flows, the isopycnals of the ground state are generally not flat, and the ground state may have kinetic energy. We finally demonstrate that flows in non-inertial frames characterized by a low Rossby number ($Ro$), the local diagnostic energy has, to lowest order in $Ro$, a universal character.

The effect of two distinct fast time scales in the rotating, stratified Boussinesq equations: variations from quasi-geostrophy

Inspired by the use of fast singular limits in time-parallel numerical methods for a single fast frequency, we consider the limiting, nonlinear dynamics for a system of partial differential equations when two fast, distinct time scales are present. First-order slow equations are derived via the method of multiple time scales when the two small parameters are related by a rational power. We find that the resultant system depends only on the relationship of the two fast time scales, i.e. which fast time is fastest? Using the theory of cancellation of fast oscillations, we show that with the appropriate assumptions on the nonlinear operator of the full system, this reduced slow system is exactly that which the solution will converge to if each asymptotic limit is considered sequentially. The same result is also obtained via the method of renormalization. The specific example of the rotating, stratified Boussinesq equations is explored in detail, indicating that the most common distinguished limit of this system—quasi-geostrophy, is not the only limiting asymptotic system.

Dynamic Transitions and Baroclinic Instability for 3D Continuously Stratified Boussinesq Flows

The main objective of this article is to study the nonlinear stability and dynamic transitions of the basic (zonal) shear flows for the three-dimensional continuously stratified rotating Boussinesq model. The model equations are fundamental equations in geophysical fluid dynamics, and dynamics associated with their basic zonal shear flows play a crucial role in understanding many important geophysical fluid dynamical processes, such as the meridional overturning oceanic circulation and the geophysical baroclinic instability. In this paper, first we derive a threshold for the energy stability of the basic shear flow, and obtain a criteria for nonlinear stability in terms of the critical horizontal wavenumbers and the system parameters such as the Froude number, the Rossby number, the Prandtl number and the strength of the shear flow. Next we demonstrate that the system always undergoes a dynamic transition from the basic shear flow to either a spatiotemporal oscillatory pattern or circle of steady states, as the shear strength $\Lambda$ of the basic flow crosses a critical threshold $\Lambda_c$. Also we show that the dynamic transition can be either continuous or catastrophic, and is dictated by the sign of a transition parameter $A$, fully characterizing the nonlinear interactions of different modes. A systematic numerical method is carried out to explore transition in different flow parameter regimes. We find that the system admits only critical eigenmodes with horizontal wave indices $(0,m_y)$. Such modes, horizontally have the pattern consisting of $m_y$-rolls aligned with the x-axis. Furthermore, numerically we encountered continuous transitions to multiple steady states, continuous and catastrophic transitions to spatiotemporal oscillations.

Geometric generalised Lagrangian-mean theories

Many fluctuation-driven phenomena in fluids can be analysed effectively using the generalised Lagrangian-mean (GLM) theory of Andrews &amp; McIntyre (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 89, 1978, pp. 609–646) This finite-amplitude theory relies on particle-following averaging to incorporate the constraints imposed by the material conservation of certain quantities in inviscid regimes. Its original formulation, in terms of Cartesian coordinates, relies implicitly on an assumed Euclidean structure; as a result, it does not have a geometrically intrinsic, coordinate-free interpretation on curved manifolds, and suffers from undesirable features. Motivated by this, we develop a geometric generalisation of GLM that we formulate intrinsically using coordinate-free notation. One benefit is that the theory applies to arbitrary Riemannian manifolds; another is that it establishes a clear distinction between results that stem directly from geometric consistency and those that depend on particular choices. Starting from a decomposition of an ensemble of flow maps into mean and perturbation, we define the Lagrangian-mean momentum as the average of the pull-back of the momentum one-form by the perturbation flow maps. We show that it obeys a simple equation which guarantees the conservation of Kelvin’s circulation, irrespective of the specific definition of the mean flow map. The Lagrangian-mean momentum is the integrand in Kelvin’s circulation and distinct from the mean velocity (the time derivative of the mean flow map) which advects the contour of integration. A pseudomomentum consistent with that in GLM can then be defined by subtracting the Lagrangian-mean momentum from the one-form obtained from the mean velocity using the manifold’s metric. The definition of the mean flow map is based on choices made for reasons of convenience or aesthetics. We discuss four possible definitions: a direct extension of standard GLM, a definition based on optimal transportation, a definition based on a geodesic distance in the group of volume-preserving diffeomorphisms, and the ‘glm’ definition proposed by Soward &amp; Roberts (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 661, 2010, pp. 45–72). Assuming small-amplitude perturbations, we carry out order-by-order calculations to obtain explicit expressions for the mean velocity and Lagrangian-mean momentum at leading order. We also show how the wave-action conservation of GLM extends to the geometric setting. To make the paper self-contained, we introduce in some detail the tools of differential geometry and main ideas of geometric fluid dynamics on which we rely. These include variational formulations which we use for alternative derivations of some key results. We mostly focus on the Euler equations for incompressible inviscid fluids but sketch out extensions to the rotating–stratified Boussinesq, compressible Euler, and magnetohydrodynamic equations. We illustrate our results with an application to the interaction of inertia-gravity waves with balanced mean flows in rotating–stratified fluids.

Optimal rate of convergence in stratified Boussinesq system

Optimal rate of convergence in stratified Boussinesq system

Tilting at wave beams: a new perspective on the St. Andrew’s Cross

The generation of internal gravity waves by a vertically oscillating cylinder that is tilted to the horizontal in a stratified Boussinesq fluid of constant buoyancy frequency, $N$, is investigated. This variant of the widely studied horizontal configuration – where a cylinder aligned with a plane of constant gravitational potential induces four wave beams that emanate from the cylinder, forming a cross pattern known as the ‘St. Andrew’s Cross’ – brings out certain unique features of radiated internal waves from a line source tilted to the horizontal. Specifically, simple kinematic considerations reveal that for a cylinder inclined by a given angle $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$ to the horizontal, there is a cutoff frequency, $N\sin \unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$, below which there is no longer a radiated wave field. Furthermore, three-dimensional effects due to the finite length of the cylinder, which are minor in the horizontal configuration, become a significant factor and eventually dominate the wave field as the cutoff frequency is approached; these results are confirmed by supporting laboratory experiments. The kinematic analysis, moreover, suggests a resonance phenomenon near the cutoff frequency as the group-velocity component perpendicular to the cylinder direction vanishes at cutoff; as a result, energy cannot be easily radiated away from the source, and nonlinear and viscous effects are likely to come into play. This scenario is examined by adapting the model for three-dimensional wave beams developed in Kataoka &amp; Akylas (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 769, 2015, pp. 621–634) to the near-resonant wave field due to a tilted line source of large but finite length. According to this model, the combination of three-dimensional, nonlinear and viscous effects near cutoff triggers transfer of energy, through the action of Reynolds stresses, to a circulating horizontal mean flow. Experimental evidence of such an induced mean flow near cutoff is also presented.