Location
M3 4206
Candidate
Rosalie Cormier | Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo
Title
Numerical Investigation of Baroclinic Instability in the Beaufort Gyre
Abstract
The Beaufort Gyre is a major region of circulation in the Arctic Ocean. Atmospheric winds and a fluctuating sea-ice cover exert a net stress on the gyre’s surface that drives its flow. This surface-driving produces a vertically sheared flow, which accumulates potential energy and results in baroclinic instability (BCI). The unstable gyre is susceptible to the development of eddies via the conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy. The eddy field, which encompasses a range of length scales, provides important pathways for the redistribution of heat and salt throughout the gyre's depth.
In my research, I explore the energetics of BCI in the Beaufort Gyre using numerical techniques. My presentation will include discussion of the eigenvalue equations that correspond to linearized descriptions of BCI, as well as the finite-volume model I use to simulate the non-linear evolution of baroclinic eddies in the gyre. I will present several components of my planned analysis of my simulation output and I will outline future modifications I plan to make to my simulation.
Location Information
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, ON, CA N2L 3G1
