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Instability of a shelfbreak front

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lozier, MS; Reed, MSC; Gawarkiewicz, GG
Published in: Journal of Physical Oceanography
January 1, 2002

In an attempt to understand whether local instabilities can account for the observed frontal variability in the Middle Atlantic Bight, a linear stability analysis was conducted for a wide range of background density and velocity fields. Three-dimensional perturbations superposed on a continuously stratified shelfbreak front were investigated using the hydrostatic primitive equations. Model results indicate that the shelfbreak frontal jet is unstable over the wide parameter range dictated by the observed velocity and density structure. Model growth rates, on the order of one day, and wavelengths of ~10-50 km compare favorably to observations, suggesting that local baroclinic/barotropic instabilities are a likely source for the strong temporal and spatial variability of the shelfbreak front in the Middle Atlantic Bight.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of Physical Oceanography

DOI

ISSN

0022-3670

Publication Date

January 1, 2002

Volume

32

Issue

3

Start / End Page

924 / 944

Related Subject Headings

  • Oceanography
  • 4015 Maritime engineering
  • 3708 Oceanography
  • 0911 Maritime Engineering
  • 0405 Oceanography
 

Citation

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Lozier, M. S., Reed, M. S. C., & Gawarkiewicz, G. G. (2002). Instability of a shelfbreak front. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 32(3), 924–944. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(2002)032<0924:IOASF>2.0.CO;2
Lozier, M. S., M. S. C. Reed, and G. G. Gawarkiewicz. “Instability of a shelfbreak front.” Journal of Physical Oceanography 32, no. 3 (January 1, 2002): 924–44. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(2002)032<0924:IOASF>2.0.CO;2.
Lozier MS, Reed MSC, Gawarkiewicz GG. Instability of a shelfbreak front. Journal of Physical Oceanography. 2002 Jan 1;32(3):924–44.
Lozier, M. S., et al. “Instability of a shelfbreak front.” Journal of Physical Oceanography, vol. 32, no. 3, Jan. 2002, pp. 924–44. Scopus, doi:10.1175/1520-0485(2002)032<0924:IOASF>2.0.CO;2.
Lozier MS, Reed MSC, Gawarkiewicz GG. Instability of a shelfbreak front. Journal of Physical Oceanography. 2002 Jan 1;32(3):924–944.

Published In

Journal of Physical Oceanography

DOI

ISSN

0022-3670

Publication Date

January 1, 2002

Volume

32

Issue

3

Start / End Page

924 / 944

Related Subject Headings

  • Oceanography
  • 4015 Maritime engineering
  • 3708 Oceanography
  • 0911 Maritime Engineering
  • 0405 Oceanography