Basic dynamics

The equations of motion and continuity

Scaling
Hydrostatic relation
Boussinesq approximation
Geostrophic balance in ocean’s interior
 The Equation of Motion
Newton’s second law in a rotating frame.
(Navier-Stokes equation)
    
dV   1 p  2V  g  F
dt 

dV
dt : Acceleration relative to axis fixed to the earth.
1sidereal day =86164s
1 p : Pressure gradient force.

1solar day = 86400s
    2

1 1  rad day  7.292105 rad s
2V : Coriolis force, where 
 365.24 
     
g  g 0       R  : Effective (apparent) gravity. g0=9.80m/s2
 
 
F  V : Friction.   106 m2 s molecular kinematic viscosity.
2
 Gravity: Equal Potential Surfaces
• g changes about 5%
9.78m/s2 at the equator
(centrifugal acceleration 0.034m/s2,
radius 22 km longer)
9.83m/s2 at the poles)
• equal potential surface
normal to the gravitational vector
constant potential energy
the largest departure of the mean sea
surface from the “level” surface is
about 2m (slope 10-5)
• The mean ocean surface is not flat and smooth
earth is not homogeneous
In Cartesian Coordinates:
du   1 p  2sin v  2cosw  F
dt  x x

dv   1 p  2sin u  F
dt  y y

dw   1 p  2cosu  g  F
dt  z z

where
du  u  u u  v u  w u
dt t x y z
 t T
1 2
Accounting for the turbulence and averaging within T: u (t , T )  
T t T
u (t )dt
2

uv   u  u v  v  u v  u v  u v  u v  u v  u v

Given the zonal momentum equation
 2 2 

u  u u  v u  w u   1  fv  
p   u  2
u  u
  2 2
t x y z x 
x y z 
2
 

If we assume the turbulent perturbation of density is small

i.e., 
The mean zonal momentum equation is
 2 2 

u  u u  v u  w u   1  fv  F  
p   u  2
u  u
   
t x y z x x 
x 2
y 2
z 
2
 

Where Fx is the turbulent (eddy) dissipation

u  u  u   u u  u v u w 
Fx  u   v  v     
x x x 

x x  x 

If the turbulent flow is incompressible, i.e., u   v  w  0
x y z
 Eddy Dissipation
,
Reynolds stress tensor and eddy viscosity:
 xx  u u   Ax u
x
 xy  u v  Ay u
y
 xz  u w  Az u
z

    2
u  2
u  2
u
Then Fx  xx  xy
 xz  Ax 2  Ay 2  Az 2
x y z x y z
Where the turbulent viscosity coefficients are anisotropic.

Ax=Ay~102-105 m2/s >>  106 m2 s

Az ~10-4-10-2 m2/s
Reynolds stress has no symmetry:

 xy  u v  Ay u
y   xy  yx
 yx  vu  Ax v
x
A more general definition:

 xy  Ay u  Ax v   xy  yx
y x
  xx   xy
  xz  A  2
u

 2
u

 2
u

 
 u

v

w 

 x x
F
y z
A A A  
x y z x x y z 
x 2 y 2 z 2 x 
 

    2
u  2
u  2
u
Fx  xx  xy
 xz  Ax 2  Ay 2  Az 2
x y z x y z
if u  v  w  0
x y z (incompressible)
 Continuity Equation

Mass conservation law d  V  0
dt
In Cartesian coordinates, we have
  u   v   w     u  v  w   0
t x y z  x y

z 

or   u   v   w   0

t x y z
d
For incompressible fluid, dt  0
 u v w
 V     0
x y z

   
If we define VH  (u, v) and H  ,  , the equation becomes

x y  

 w
 H VH   0
z
 Scaling of the equation of motion
• Consider mid-latitude (≈45o) open ocean
away from strong current and below sea surface.
The basic scales and constants:
L=1000 km = 106 m
H=103 m
U= 0.1 m/s
T=106 s (~ 10 days)
2sin45o=2cos45o≈2x7.3x10-5x0.71=10-4s-1
g≈10 m/s2
≈103 kg/m3
Ax=Ay=105 m2/s
Az=10-1 m2/s

• Derived scale from the continuity equation

 u v w U W ~ 0
 V     0 
x y z L H
 W=UH/L=10-4 m/s
Scaling the vertical component
of the equation of motion
w  u w  v w  w w   1 p  2cosu  g  A  2 w  A  2 w  A  2 w
t x y z  z x
x2 y
y 2 z
z 2
W  UW  UW  W 2 103  z P 104U 10 105 W 105 W 101 W
T L L H H L2 L2 H2

      z P 5
10 10 10 10 10
10 11 11 11 3 10 10101110111011
H

 103  z P 10   z P 104 H 107 Pa

H

p  g
Hydrostatic Equation z
accuracy 1 part in 106
 Boussinesq Approximation
Consider a hydrostatic and isentropic fluid
p dp  g
 g c 2
 2
z d z c
 z 
z  o expg  dz 2 
 0 c 
 c
2
Local scale height HS  ~ 200km  H ~ 1km
g
d 1 dp g dz g u v w g
 2  2  2 w     2w
dt c dt c dt c x y z c
 z OW H  H
O w
S
1 
u v w
  0
O
gw 2 
 O
W 
 H x y z
 c   H S 

The motion has vertical scale small compared with the scale height
 Boussinesq approximation
Density variations can be neglected for its effect
on mass but not on weight (or buoyancy).
Assume that   o    where o   , we have p  po z   p
po   g p   g
where 
z o
z
Then the equations are

u  u u  v u  w u   1 p  fv  A 2u  A 2u  A 2u (1)

t x y z o x x
x2 y y2 z z 2
v  u v  v v  w v   1 p  fu  A 2v  A 2v  A 2v (2)
t x y z o y x
x2 y y2 z z 2
u  v  w  0 (3) where f  2sin 
x y z
(The term  2cosw
p   g (4) is neglected in (1) for energy
z consideration.)
Geostrophic balance
in ocean’s interior
Scaling of the horizontal components
u  u u  v u  w u   1 p  fv  2cosw  A  2u  A  2u  A  2u
t x y z  x x
x2 y
y 2 z
z 2
U  U 2  U 2  U 2  10 3  h P 10 4U 10 4W 10 5 U 10 5 U 10 5 U
T L L L L L2 L2 L2
107 108 108 108 10 9 h P 10 5 10 8 10 8 10 8 10 8

102 103 103 103 10 4 h P 110 3 10 3 10 3 10 3

  h P 104 (accuracy, 1% ~ 1‰)

Zero order (Geostrophic) balance

Pressure gradient force = Coriolis force
1 p  fv  0
 v  1 p
x f x

1 p  fu  0
 u   1 p
y f y
 Re-scaling the vertical momentum equation
Since the density and pressure perturbation is not negligible
in the vertical momentum equation, i.e.,
  o   , p  po z   p , and po  o g
z
The vertical pressure gradient force becomes
1 p 1  po p  1  po p 
       
 z  o     z z       z z 
 o 1  
 o 
1     po p  1  po p   po 

  1           
 o   o  z z   o  z z  o z 
1 p  
g  g
 o z  o
 Taking into the vertical momentum equation, we have
w  u w  v w  w w   1 p    g  2 cosu  A  2w  A  2w  A  2w
t x y z  z 
o
x
x2 y
y 2 z
z 2
o

p   z P ,   ~  and assume  z P ~ h P 104

If we scale ~
z H
then
W  UW  UW  W 2  103  z P 10 2 104U 105 W 105 W 101 W
T L L H H L2 L2 H2
1010 1011 1011 1011 10 2 10 2 105 1011 1011 1011

   1kg / m3 and p   g

z
(accuracy ~ 1‰)
 Geopotential
Geopotential  is defined as the amount of work done to
move a parcel of unit mass through a vertical distance dz
against gravity is

d  gdz  dp
The geopotential difference between levels z1 and z2 (with pressure p1
and p2) is
z2 z2 p2
z  z2  z  z1    d   gdz    dp
z1 z1 p1

(unit of : Joules/kg=m2/s2).
 Dynamic height
Given   35,0, p   , we have
p2 p2
 p  p2   p  p1    35,0, pdp   dp    
p1 p1 std
p2
where   
std  35,0, pdp is standard geopotential distance (function of p only)
p1
p2 std
   dp is geopotential anomaly. In general,

~ 103
p1
 is sometime measured by the unit “dynamic meter” (1dyn m = 10 J/kg). which
is also called as “dynamic distance” (D)
1 p2
D  D2  D1   dp Units: ~m3/kg, p~Pa, D~ dyn m
10 p1

Note: Though named as a distance, dynamic height (D) is still a

measure of energy per unit mass.
 Geopotential and isobaric surfaces
Geopotential surface: constant , perpendicular to gravity, also referred to as
“level surface”
p
Isobaric surface: constant p. The pressure gradient force  is perpendicular to
n
the isobaric surface.
In a “stationary” state (u=v=w=0), isobaric surfaces must be level (parallel to
geopotential surfaces).
In general, an isobaric surface (dashed line in the figure) is inclined to the level
surface (full line).
In a “steady” state ( u  v  w  0),
t t t
the vertical balance of forces is

 p cos(i)  g
n
The horizontal component of
the pressure gradient force is

  p  sin i 
 sin(i)   cosi
p 
 g tani
n  n

 cosi 

 Geostrophic relation
The horizontal balance of force is
2sinV1  g tan i 







where tan(i) is the slope of the isobaric surface.
tan (i) ≈ 10-5 (1m/100km) if V1=1 m/s at 45oN (Gulf Stream).

In principle, V1 can be determined by tan(i). In practice,

tan(i) is hard to measure because

(1) p should be determined with the necessary accuracy

(2) the slope of sea surface (of magnitude <10-5) can not
be directly measured (probably except for recent
altimetry measurements from satellite.)
(Sea surface is a isobaric surface but is not usually a level surface.)
 Calculating geostrophic velocity using hydrographic data
The difference between the slopes (i1 and i2)
at two levels (z1 and z1) can be determined
from vertical profiles of density observations.

Level 1: 2sin V1  g tani1 

Level 2: 2sin V2  g tani2 

Difference:

2sin  V1 V2   g  tani1   tani2  

 


 B1C1 B2 C 2 
i.e., 2 sin  V V   g   

1 2   


A1C1 A2 C 
2 
g
  B B C C 
 1 2 1 2

because A1C1=A2C2=L and B1C1-B2C2=B1B2-C1C2
L
g
  B1 B2  A1 A2  because C1C2=A1A2
L
g
   z1  z 3    z 2  z 4   Note that z is negative below sea surface.
L 
 p p
g z2  z4    35,0, p dp   A dp
2 2
Since   ,
p p
1 1
p p
g z1  z3    35,0, p dp   B dp
2 2
and  
p p
1 1
 
p p 
g  1  2 2 
we have  z  z    z  z  
   
 dp    dp 
L  1 3   2 4  L 
p
B A 

 p 
 1 1 
The geostrophic equation becomes

10 
V V 



  D  D 

 1
L2sin 
2  B A