Western Intensification: Both Stommel and Munk added frictional boundary layers

Question

Western Intensification: Both Stommel and Munk added frictional boundary layers to Sverdrup's geostrophic interior to understand why Western Boundary Currents (WBCs) occur in ocean basins. Sketch the velocity structure of both Stoiniuers and Munk's boundary currents. How are they different? Explain why their solutions are different. What is the form of the frictional dissipation in each? Winch solution do you think is more realistic? Why? Do the Stommel and Munk solutions predict different WBC width? Different WBC transport? Consider an eastward wind stress that linearly increases from -0.15 Nm^-2 at 15 degree N to 4-0.15 Nm-2 at 45 degree N over the North Atlantic Ocean (1 Nm^-2 = 1 kg m^-1 s^-2). What is the transport In the WBC at 30 degree N? Assume beta = 2 times 10^-11 m^-1s^-1 at 30 degree N, rho = 1000 kgm^-3, and A = 100 m^2s^-1. Take 1 degree latitude = 100 km and width of Atlantic = 10,000 km. Show mathematically, using Stommel's boundary layer, why these boundary currents are in the west.

Explanation / Answer

a) The velocity of Stommel and Junk boundary are more or less same but their change with respect to time is different at different environmental conditions.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse W
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.