Abstract
This paper is a continuation of Part I of the suggested study of the barotropic model of the subtropical gyre for finite Reynolds numbers. The statement of the problem, the motivation of the analysis, and the description of the general properties of the solution are presented in Part I (Kamenkovich et al., 1995). Here, in Part II of the study, the detailed investigations of the peculiarities of the solution are offered. The most striking feature of the solution is the formation of a recirculation gyre in the northwest corner of the basin. To study the gyre structure for various Reynolds numbers the time-averaged fields of the stream function, and that of the relative and potential vorticity are thoroughly examined. The role of the eddies, appeared within the boundary layer, in the transfer of positive vorticity from the west coast is clarified. The analysis of the energy characteristics of the system is presented and the vorticity balance both integral and regional (within a closed streamline) is elucidated. Finally, the consistent discussion of the process of the formation of the recirculation gyre for different Reynolds numbers is suggested.
Recommended Citation
Sheremet, V. A., V. M. Kamenkovich, and A. R. Pastushkov. 1995. "Analysis of the barotropic model of the subtropical gyre in the ocean for finite Reynolds numbers. Part II.." Journal of Marine Research 53, (6). https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/journal_of_marine_research/2166