Abstract
Quasi-geostrophic theory is used to study the effect of a continental slope on the Western Boundary Layer. The compression of the vortex tubes by the slope results in a strong northward boundary current called the Continental Slope Boundary Current (hereafter CSBC). On the β-plane, for a reasonably high slope, we find a strong barotropic recirculation which enhances the total transport of the Western Boundary Current significantly. The two-layer model further shows that the CSBC is trapped in the lower layer. In oceans with very deep lower layers, the CSBC transport increases dramatically. Consequently, even for a very weak lower layer incoming flow, we can still have a very strong barotropic CSBC transport compared to the Inertial Boundary Current. Additionally, for an ocean with a very deep lower layer, we can always have comparable total transport in both layers even when the lower layer incoming flow is very weak.
Recommended Citation
Liu, Zhengyu. 1990. "On the influence of the Continental Slope on the Western Boundary Layer: The enhanced transport and recirculation." Journal of Marine Research 48, (2). https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/journal_of_marine_research/1969