Chapter 7: Circulation and Vorticity Circulation C = u ds Integration is performed in a counterclockwise direction C is positive for counterclockwise flow!!! Kelvin s Circulation Theorem The rate of change of circulation can be expressed as: DC = Du ds = 1 ρ p s ds + Φ s ds + friction What is the magnitude of each term in this equation? For a barotropic fluid (density is a function only of pressure): 1 ρ p ( ) p s ds = 1 ρ p & 1 = ( ' ρ p 2 ( ) dp ( ) 1 ( ) ρ p 1 = 0 around a closed circuit ) + *
Geopotential term: Φ ds = dφ s = [ Φ 2 Φ 1 ] = 0 around a closed circuit In a frictionless (inviscid) flow the friction term is also zero. In a barotropic, inviscid fluid the circulation is constant!!! Bjerknes Circulation theorem DC = 0 Changes in circulation can arise due to friction or baroclinicity. The sea breeze circulation How does the temperature over the land and over the ocean vary during the course of a day? What impact does this have on the thickness of an atmospheric column? How does the atmosphere respond to this horizontal variation in thickness? Example: Calculating the circulation associated with a sea breeze
Relative circulation Circulation in the atmosphere arises due to our rotating frame of reference. C absolute = C earth + C relative where, C earth = u earth ds RΩ 2πRsin φ C earth 2πΩR 2 sin φ If C absolute is conserved what does this imply about changes in C relative for meridional flow? Vorticity For solid body rotation: ζ = C A ζ = δc δa = 2πδrV πδr 2 = 2V δr = 2ω The earth undergoes solid body rotation with an angular velocity of ω = Ωsin φ, so: ζ earth = 2Ωsin φ = f What is the sign of ζ earth in the Northern and Southern hemispheres?
The circulation around ABCD can be calculated as: C = u ds = ( udx + vdy) δc = C AB + C BC + C CD + C DA $ = uδx + & v + v % x δx ' $ ) δy & u + u ( % y δy ' ) δx vδy ( = v u δxδy x y δyδx $ = v x u ' & ) δa % y( Then the relative vorticity, ζ, is given by: ζ = δc δa ζ = v x u y What is the sign of ζ for clockwise and counterclockwise flow? What does this imply about the sign of ζ for flow around low and high pressure centers? Example: Calculation of relative vorticity from a weather map
Conservation of Potential Vorticity What conditions were required for constant circulation according to Kelvin s circulation theorem? On a constant potential temperature, θ, surface: ρ = p RT = p $ & Rθ % p 0 p R ' d c p $ R ) = p c v c p p d c p 0 ( & % Rθ ' ) ( This is analogous to a barotropic fluid. Therefore, on a constant potential temperature surface the pressure gradient term is zero and Kelvin s circulation theorem is satisfied. This implies that: DC absolute C absolute = A θ = 0 ( ζ θ + f )da C ζ θ + f = lim absolute δa 0 δa δa( ζ θ + f ) = constant Consider an air parcel that is confined between two potential temperature surfaces, θ and θ + δθ, separated by pressure interval δp. The motion of this air parcel will be adiabatic. The mass of the parcel is given by: δm = ρδzδa = ( δp g)δa and must be conserved following the motion.
This gives: δa = δmg δp δmg δp δθ δθ δa = δmg δθ ' δθ * ), ( δp+ δa = constant g δθ δp Combining this result with δa( ζ θ + f ) = constant gives an expression for Rossby-Ertel potential vorticity, P: & constant g δθ ) ( + ζ θ + f ' δp* What does the δθ δp term represent? ( ) = constant P = g δθ δp ζ θ + f ( ) = constant Potential vorticity depends on the depth of the fluid and the absolute vorticity. Example: Conservation of potential vorticity and flow over the Rocky Mountains
Air column depth Change in δθ δp Increase δp Decrease δp Increase δp Decrease (return to original value) Decrease Increase Decrease Increase (return to original value) Change in ζ + f Increase Decrease Increase Decrease Sign of ζ Positive Negative Positive Negative Resulting northward southward lee side trough southward motion Change in f Increase Decrease Increase Decrease For westerly flow across a mountain range a lee wave will form downstream of the mountain. Stretching a column of the atmosphere results in generation of cyclonic vorticity. Shrinking of a column of the atmosphere results in generation of anticylonic vorticity.
The Vorticity Equation Using Navier-Stokes equations scaled for mid-latitude weather systems we can derive an equation for the time rate of change of vorticity. D h u h = 1 % p d ' ρ & x D h u y (1) D h x (2) D h (2)- (1) - D h i + p d y ( j * fk ) u h = 1 p d ρ x + fv (1) D h v = 1 p d ρ y % u( ' * = 1 2 p d ρ x y + f v y + v f y % v( ' * = 1 2 p d & x) ρ x y f u x u f x (1) - (2)- % v x u ( % u ' * = f x + v ( ' * u f x v f y D hζ + u f x + v f y = f % u x + v ( ' * ζ t + u ζ x + v ζ y + u f x + v f y = f % u x + v ( ' * fu (2) What causes the relative vorticity, at a fixed location, to change in time? How does vorticity change for a non-divergent flow? For quasi-geostrophic flow: D g % u ( ζ g + f ) = f a x + v ( a ' * & y ) D g ( ζ g + f ) = f w z What does this equation tell us about changes in relative vorticity in a quasi-geostrophic framework?