Studies of barotropic flow over topography using a Galerkin Finite Element model
By: Thomas I. Petroliagis
Contributors: Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School
Published: 1988
Place of publication: Monterey, California
Language: eng
Number of pages: 175
Subjects: Meteorology
Description: A finite element shallow-water model is tested with two types of surface topography. The model uses rectangular subdivisions in a vorticity-divergence formulation, and a semi-implicit time discretization. In the first experiment an east-west ridge or valley is placed in a channel with east-west periodic conditions. Linear quasi-geostrophic solutions are derived with the rigid lid assumption. The Rossby waves are successfully simulated in the model with linear solutions as the initial conditions. The model phase speeds are very close to the analytic values when the latter are properly corrected. In the second experiment a ridge is placed across the channel and the Coriolis parameter is set to zero. The initial conditions consist of a uniform flow through the channel and constant free-surface height. The numerical simulations agree with hydraulic jump theory. In the jump cases the model predicts increasing wind speeds and decreasing free surface heights. Higher spatial resolution would be required to properly simulate the details of the hydraulic jump formation. (fr)
Notes: Thesis advisor(s): Williams, Roger Terry.

"March 1988."

Thesis (M.S. in Meteorology)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 1988.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 172-175).

Approved for public release, distribution unlimited.

Hellenic Air Force author.