Atmospheric mixing is a problem of exceptional importance and difficult to study. The anelastic approximation is the accepted fluid system governing the atmosphere over large vertical scales (about 8 km). The anelastic equations, unlike the Navier-Stokes equations, incorporate a nontrivial spatial divergence constraint on the velocity field. This yields a weakly compressible fluid flow. The basis of this study is to use numerical analysis to explore the effects of weak compressibility in the evolution of fluid governed by the anelastic equations, and the effects of incompressibility governed by the Navier-Stokes equation. The analysis then goes on to investigate the difference between three different initial conditions. Within each initial condition different density profiles are observed while varying parameters are investigated. Numerical results show that comparisons of incompressible Navier-Stokes equations to the anelastic fluid flow equations do not produce similar results. The weakly compressible flow creates a mixing barrier, stopping vertical fluid exchange. The perturbed middle region / US Navy (USN) author
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:nps.edu/oai:calhoun.nps.edu:10945/2713 |
| Date | 06 1900 |
| Creators | Sopko, James J. |
| Contributors | Zhou, Hong, Scandrett, Clyde, Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.), Applied Mathematics |
| Publisher | Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School |
| Source Sets | Naval Postgraduate School |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xii, 57 p. : col. ill., application/pdf |
| Rights | This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. As such, it is in the public domain, and under the provisions of Title 17, United States Code, Section 105, may not be copyrighted. |
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