Interacting SQG Vortices and Passive Scalar Transport Stefan G. Llewellyn Smith and C. K. Taylor ... more Interacting SQG Vortices and Passive Scalar Transport Stefan G. Llewellyn Smith and C. K. Taylor Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego sgls@ucsd.edu Abstract The surface quasi-geostrophic (SQG) equations are a model for low-Rossby number geo- physical flows in which the dynamics are governed by potential temperature dynamics on the boundary. The model can be used to explore the effect on transport of the tran- sition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional mesoscale geophysical flows. On an f -plane with linear stratification, we examine the dynamics of SQG vortices and the re- sulting three-dimensional flow including contributions at first order in Rossby number going beyond the usual QG equation to compute the velocity. While it is simple to obtain the vertical velocity, finding O(Ro) horizontal flow is more involved. The Finite Time Braiding Entropy (FTBE) of Thiffeault & Budisic is used to quantify the chaotic mixing induced by three point vort...
Interacting SQG Vortices and Passive Scalar Transport Stefan G. Llewellyn Smith and C. K. Taylor ... more Interacting SQG Vortices and Passive Scalar Transport Stefan G. Llewellyn Smith and C. K. Taylor Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego sgls@ucsd.edu Abstract The surface quasi-geostrophic (SQG) equations are a model for low-Rossby number geo- physical flows in which the dynamics are governed by potential temperature dynamics on the boundary. The model can be used to explore the effect on transport of the tran- sition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional mesoscale geophysical flows. On an f -plane with linear stratification, we examine the dynamics of SQG vortices and the re- sulting three-dimensional flow including contributions at first order in Rossby number going beyond the usual QG equation to compute the velocity. While it is simple to obtain the vertical velocity, finding O(Ro) horizontal flow is more involved. The Finite Time Braiding Entropy (FTBE) of Thiffeault & Budisic is used to quantify the chaotic mixing induced by three point vort...
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Papers by Stefan G Llewellyn Smith