Problem Set 1 Solutions H 4.3 An air parcel at 30o N moves northward conserving absolute vorticity.

. If its initial relative vorticity is 5x10-5s-1, what is its relative vorticity upon reaching 90o N?
d ( f + ) = 0 , therefore f1 + 1 = f 2 + 2 dt f1 = 2sin(30 o ) , 1 = 5 x10 5 s 1 , f 2 = 2 sin(90 o )

2 = 1 + f1 f 2 = 2.29 x10 5 s 1

H 4.5 Find the average vorticity within a cylindrical annulus of inner radius 200km and outer radius 400km if the tangential velocity distribution is given by V = A/r, where A = 106m2s-1 and r is in meters.
C annulus = C 400 k C 200 k =
r1=200km

400 k

V dl V dl
200 k

C annulus
r2=400km

A A = 2r2 2r1 = 0 r2 r1

annulus =

C annulus =0 Area

What is the average vorticity within the inner circle of radius 200km?

200 k =

___

C 200 k 2A = = 5 x10 5 s 1 2 Area r1

H 4.7 Compute the rate of change of circulation about a square in the (x,y) plane with corners at (0,0), (0,L), (L,L), and (L,0) if temperature increases eastward at a rate of 1oC per 200 km and pressure increases northward at a rate of 1 hPa per 200 km. Let L = 1000 km and the pressure at point (0,0) be 1000 hPa.

Leg 3

dC a = RTd ln p dt
= RTd ln p RTd ln p RTd ln p RTd ln p
1 2 3 4

Legs (1) and (3) are at constant pressure,

Leg 4 Leg 2

RTd ln p = 0
1, 3

= RTd ln p RTd ln p
2 4

P +5 P = R (T + 5) ln RT ln P P + 5
Leg 1

P +5 2 2 = 5 R ln = 7.16m s P

H 4.12 A westerly zonal flow at 45o N is forced to rise adiabatically over a northsouth oriented mountain barrier. Before striking the mountain, the westerly wind increases linearly toward the south at a rate of 10 m/s per 1000 km. The crest of the mountain range is at 800 hPa and the tropopause, located at 300 hPa, remains undisturbed. What is the initial relative vorticity of the air?
=
v u 10 ms 1 = =10 5 s 1 6 x y 10 m

What is the relative vorticity when it reaches the crest if it is deflected 5o latitude toward the south during the forced ascent?

Relative vorticity affected by two things: deflection of air column toward the south (f decreases), and riding up over mountain top (h decreases): f1 + 1 f + 2 = 2 h1 h2
h2 5 1 2 = h ( f1 + 1 ) f 2 = 1.29 x10 s 1

If the current assumes a uniform speed of 20 m/s, during its ascent to the crest, what is the radius of curvature of the streamlines at the crest?
V

R=

= 1.55 x10 6 m = 1550km (negative sign indicates clockwise)

Additional Problems: 1) In the winter in the mid-latitudes temperature decreases towards the pole.

a) Write an expression for the baroclinicity vector implied by the T and P. temperature decrease in terms of By the Ideal Gas Law: P = RT
1 1 P , therefore T T P.

Since temperature decreases toward pole, density must increase toward pole:

The baroclinicity vector points to the WEST.

Sketch the circulation that would be generated by the baroclinicity vector if it were not opposed by any other torques. This creates a circulation with rising along the equator and sinking at the North Pole. Mass continuity implies that there must be northerly flow at the surface and southerly flow aloft. b) The meridional temperature gradient is accompanied by a westerly jet which increases with height. Explain how the westerly jet in thermal wind balance with the temperature gradient prevents the baroclinicity vector from generating any circulation. Make a sketch to show your reasoning. Thermal wind balance dictates that the flow must become more westerly with height. The Coriolis force will torque this shear into the meridional direction:

This creates a meridional shear in the vertical that is opposite the shear created by the baroclinic circulation. Thus the baroclinic circulation is opposed by the westerly shear in thermal wind balance. 2) Consider the shallow water (SW) system in which V =V ( x, y , t ) , density is constant, hydrostatic balance is assumed, and the water has depth H = H o + h( x, y , t ) with H o << h . One way that the SW equations are commonly used is to assume that products of small quantities can be neglected, i.e. if A >> a and B >> b then ( A + a )( B + b ) = AB + Ab + aB . a. First, show that
dh H o V . dt

We can start with the shallow water mass continuity equation: x + y + z = 0

Move the vertical derivative to the other side and integrate throughout the depth of the fluid:
z =H o +h z =H o +h w u v w u v = + z = + z z = 0 z = 0 z x y z x y z =H o +h z =H o +h u v w = + z z= 0 z= 0 y x

The left side can be evaluated as an exact differential, while divergence can come out of the integral on the right side (recall that in the shallow water system, the horizontal flow must be invariant with height, therefore the divergence at all vertical levels must be the same):
u v [ w( H o + h ) w( 0) ] = + ( H o + h 0 ) x y

Since there can be no flow through the bottom of the system, w(o)=0. Recognize that w =
z : t
u v ( H o + h ) = + ( H o + h ) t x y

Now apply linearization theory. Since u, v, h are all perturbation quantities,

u v x + y h 0 .

We can ignore this term because two perturbation terms are being
u v + = V : x y

multiplied together. Also recognize that

( H o + h ) H oV t

Since

H o = 0 (it is a basic state quantity and therefore doesnt change): t

h H oV t

Make a sketch that shows what the equation means. This equation says that the only way to change the depth of the fluid is through convergence and divergence. As the flow converges, the height of the fluid surface is raised, while divergence causes the height of the fluid to lower:

b. Next, take the curl of the momentum equation to obtain the vorticity equation to derive the SW vorticity equation,
d ( + f ) = ( + f ) V . dt

Start with the shallow water momentum equations:

u u u 1 P ' +u +v fv = t x y o x v v v 1 P ' +u +v + fu = t x y o y

Take

y of

the zonal momentum equation, and add

momentum equation:

of x

the meridional

u u u 1 P ' v v v 1 P ' + u + v fv = + + u + v + fu = y x y o x x y o y t x t

Which yields: u u u v v v 1 ( fv ) + v + v + ( fu ) = u + u + y t y x y y y x t x x x y x y o Recognize that the pressure terms on the right side of the equation cancel each other:

 u u u v v v v ( fv ) + ( fu ) = 0 v + u + u + + y t y x y y y x t x x x y x

Expand the remaining terms:

u u u u v u u v f v u v v v u v + f y + v y + x t + x x +u x x + x y t y x y x y y y y

Now we can begin to group terms:

u u v v v u , = = = y t t y x t t y t x y t u u u = u , y x x y u u v v u +u u = u x x y x x x x y v v v v u v u = v y x , v y x v y y v y x y = v y x y u v v u u v u u v v v u + + = V x x x y x y y y x y x y f
u v v u +f f + = f V y x x y

Which leaves you with:

f f +u +v +u +v + ( f + ) V = 0 t x y x y

Since

advection terms yields:

f = 0 , this can be added to the equation above. Combining the t

( f + ) + u ( f + ) + v ( f + ) + ( f + ) V = 0 t x y

Move the divergence term to the other side, and recognize that what remains on the left side is the Lagrangian derivative for absolute vorticity:
D ( f + ) = ( f + ) V Dt

c. Assuming that latitudinal motions aren't too large, we can set f = f o + f ' ( y ) with
f
'

( y ) << f o Under this assumption, show that

h P = f + fo H o

is a conserved

quantity. d. Finally, show that P has the same behavior as the exact potential vorticity.

Both of these questions will be answered together. First, I will show that the exact potential vorticity is a conserved quantity. Start with the vorticity and height tendency equations of the shallow water system:
D ( f + ) = ( f + ) V Dt D ( H o + h) = ( H o + h ) V (partial derivative changed to a Lagrangian Dt

derivative since fluid surface height is not an advectable quantity. Advection terms therefore = 0, and can be added to the equation). Recognize that divergence appears in both equations. We can therefore solve for divergence in both equations and set them equal to each other: 1 D 1 D ( H o + h) = V ( f + ) = V , ( f + ) Dt ( H o + h ) Dt 1 D ( f + ) = 1 D ( H o + h) ( f + ) Dt ( H o + h ) Dt Bring the height tendency to the other side of the equation, and multiply the entire equation by

( f + )( H o + h ) 1 D 1 D ( f + ) + ( H + h ) = 0 o 2 ( f + ) Dt ( H o + h ) Dt ( H o + h) Which yields: ( H o + h) D ( f + ) ( f + ) D ( H o + h) Dt Dt =0 2 ( H o + h)
Recognize that the left hand side is the quotient rule equivalent of
D f + =0 Dt Ho + h D f + Dt Ho + h

( f + )( H o + h ) : ( H o + h) 2

Which shows that the shallow water potential vorticity is conserved.

f + h Next, we want to show that H + h f + f o H , which will show that P has o o the same behavior as the shallow water PV. Start by factoring out Ho: f + f + = Ho + h h Ho 1 + H o

h 1 h << 1, 1 Ho : h Since H o 1 + H o f + 1 h 1 ( f + )
Ho + h Ho Ho

Expanding the terms yields:

f + 1 h h f + f Ho + h Ho Ho Ho

Now take into consideration that the equation should be linearized. Since f , , h are all perturbation quantities, any term which includes two of these terms multiplying each other should be ignored. Therefore, the second vorticity term is dropped, as is the portion of the second Coriolis parameter term which is a perturbation quantity. This leaves only the basic-state Coriolis parameter term (fo):
'

f + 1 h f + fo Ho + h Ho Ho

We can now replace the shallow water PV with this new expression in the conservation equation:
D 1 f + fo h = 0 Dt H o Ho

Consider that Ho is constant:

1 D f + fo h = 0 H o Dt Ho

Multiply the equation by Ho:

D f + fo h = 0 Dt Ho

Which shows that the quantity P = f + fo

h Ho

is a conserved quantity which

behaves exactly like the shallow water PV (i.e. they are both conserved).