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1 The Thermal Wind Equation

The document discusses the thermal wind equation, which relates horizontal gradients in temperature to vertical wind shear. It derives the thermal wind equation for both incompressible fluids like water and compressible fluids like air. For water, the equation shows that horizontal temperature gradients produce vertical gradients in the horizontal geostrophic current. For air, the equation is expressed in pressure coordinates and shows that horizontal temperature gradients correspond to vertical gradients in the horizontal geostrophic wind. The thermal wind equation demonstrates that differences in horizontal temperature fields must be balanced by changes in wind speed with height.

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Ranjit Singh
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175 views

1 The Thermal Wind Equation

The document discusses the thermal wind equation, which relates horizontal gradients in temperature to vertical wind shear. It derives the thermal wind equation for both incompressible fluids like water and compressible fluids like air. For water, the equation shows that horizontal temperature gradients produce vertical gradients in the horizontal geostrophic current. For air, the equation is expressed in pressure coordinates and shows that horizontal temperature gradients correspond to vertical gradients in the horizontal geostrophic wind. The thermal wind equation demonstrates that differences in horizontal temperature fields must be balanced by changes in wind speed with height.

Uploaded by

Ranjit Singh
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Thermal wind

John Marshall, Alan Plumb and Lodovica Illari March 4, 2003


Abstract We describe thermal wind balance, derive key equations and discuss the underlying physics.1

The thermal wind equation

Thermal wind is the most fundamental and signicant dynamical balance controlling the large-scale circulation of the atmosphere and ocean. It is a consequence of hydrostatic and geostrophic balance, and relates horizontal buoyancy gradients to changes in the horizontal wind with height. If the ow is such that the Rossby number is small Ro 1 where Ro = U fL (1)

or, writing out its Cartesian components,

(here U is a typical horizontal current speed, f is the Coriolis parameter and L is a typical horizontal scale over which U varies), then the Coriolis force is balanced by the pressure gradient force in the horizontal component of the momentum equation and the ow is close to geostrophic balance: 1 b z p , (2) ug = f ug = vg 1 p ; f y 1 p . = f x (3)

If we now combine Eq.(2) with hydrostatic balance, by eliminating the pressure term, we arrive at the thermal wind equation. We now go through this procedure rst for an 1

1 THE THERMAL WIND EQUATION

incompressible uid, such as water, and then for a compressible uid like the atmosphere to derive various forms of the thermal wind equation.

1.1

Thermal wind equation for an incompressible uid such as water

Suppose that the density of water varies thus: = o + and << 1 o

where o is a constant reference density, and is the variation of the density about this reference. Note that this is a very good approximation because, typically, the density of the water in our rotating tank experiments varies about its reference value by less than a fraction of 1%. Now take /z of Eq.(3) (replacing by o where it appears in the denominator) we + g = 0,: obtain, making use of the hydrostatic relation p z ug g vg g = ; = z f o y z fo x or, in vector notation ug g b z . = z fo (5) (4)

So if varies in the horizontal then the geostrophic current will vary in the vertical. To express things in terms of temperature, and hence derive a connection between the current/wind and the thermal eld (called thermal wind ) we note that the density of water, to an approximation which is useful, depends on temperature T in a linear fashion: = o (1 (T To )) (6)

where is the expansion coecient of water at T = To , and To is a reference temperature. Thus (5) can be written: ug g b = z T z f (7)

This is a simple form of the THERMAL WIND relation. It tells us nothing more than the hydrostatic and geostrophic balance, but it expresses these balances in a dierent way. ug and T as between ug We see that there is an exactly analogous relationship between z

1 THE THERMAL WIND EQUATION

and p: compare Eqs.(7) and (2). So if we have horizontal gradients of temperature then the geostrophic ow will vary with height.

1.2

Thermal wind in pressure coordinates

Eqs.(4) pertain to an incompressible uid such as the water or the ocean. The thermal wind relation appropriate to the atmosphere can be written down but it is untidy when expressed with height as a vertical coordinate (because of variations). However it becomes simple when expressed in pressure coordinates. To proceed in p coordinates, we write the hydrostatic relation thus: 1 z = . p g and take, for example, the p-derivativeof the x-component of the geostrophic wind in pressure g z g z yielding: , coordinates (ug , vg ) = f y f x u g 2z g = = p f py f z 1 1 = . y p p f y p

Since 1/ = RT /p, its derivative at constant pressure is y whence R T 1 = , p p y p u R = p fp T y . (8)

Similarly, for v we nd R v = p fp

T x

(9)

Eqs.(8) and (9) express the thermal wind relationship in pressure coordinates. In height coordinates, one can obtain a similar relationship, but it is less elegant because of the factors in Eq.(3). To see how horizontal gradients of temperature must be accompanied by vertical gradients of wind in the atmosphere, consider Fig.(1). Suppose, for simplicity, p = p0 is constant at sea level (z = 0), and that there is a monotonic decrease of temperature with y (so T /y < 0) within the atmosphere. Then geostrophic balance tells us that u = 0 at z = 0. Now,

1 THE THERMAL WIND EQUATION

Figure 1: A schematic diagram illustrating why horizontal gradients of temperature must be accompanied by vertical gradients of wind in the atmosphere. Suppose, for simplicity, p = p0 is constant at sea level (z = 0), and that there is a monotonic decrease of temperature with y (so T /y < 0) within the atmosphere. Then geostrophic balance tells us that u = 0 at z = 0. Since beneath point A (on the left) the air is warm and therefore light (low density), while is cold and dense beneath point B , it follows from hydrostatic balance that pA > pB . Aloft, therefore, there must be a geostrophic ow out of the paper and therefore westerly (if we are in the northern hemisphere), with low pressure on its left. Thus, a northward decrease of temperature implies westerly winds increasing with height (i.e., u/p < 0). hydrostatic balance tells us that, at points A and B aloft, the pressure is p(x, y, z ) = p0 g Z
z

dz .

Since beneath point A (on the left) the air is warm and therefore light (low density), while is cold and dense beneath point B , it follows that pA > pB . Aloft, therefore, there must be a geostrophic ow, out of the paper and therefore westerly (if we are in the northern hemisphere), with low pressure on its left. Thus, a northward decrease of temperature implies westerly winds increasing with height (i.e., u/p < 0), consistent with Eq.(8).

Notes to accompany 12.307: Weather and Climate Laboratory. For a more detailed description see notes on 12.003 web page here: http://paoc.mit.edu/labweb/notes.htm

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