Thesis (S.M.)--Joint Program in Physical Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-120). / The interaction between the eddy field and the mean flow near the Gulf Stream is studied here using satellite altimeter measurements and an eddy resolving numerical model. The eddy vorticity flux in the quasigeostrophic framework is obtained from the stream function standard deviation and spatial correlation function assuming the correlation function is homogeneous. An analytical expression is found for the stream function correlation using the altimetric and numerical data. Cases when the correlation function is anisotropic are compared to the isotropic case previously studied by Hogg (1993), who found that the eddy vorticity flux drives two counter rotating gyres on either side of the stream. The anisotropy can be important in the eddy vorticity flux, even when its departure from the isotropic case is small. Meridional or zonal anisotropies can drive recirculation gyres similar in strength and position to the ones driven by the isotropic case. The results when including anisotropy in the diagonal direction suggest that the homogenoeus assumption may not be valid. / by Juan Botella. / S.M.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MIT/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/39410 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Botella, Juan, 1967- |
| Contributors | Nelson G. Hogg., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Joint Program in Physical Oceanography, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences |
| Publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Source Sets | M.I.T. Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 120 p., application/pdf |
| Rights | M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission., http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 |
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