Inertial Oscillations Revisited

Joseph Egger Meteorologisches Institut, Universität München, Munich, Germany

Search for other papers by Joseph Egger in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Restricted access

We are aware of a technical issue preventing figures and tables from showing in some newly published articles in the full-text HTML view.
While we are resolving the problem, please use the online PDF version of these articles to view figures and tables.

Abstract

Coriolis terms proportional to cosφ are omitted in the conventional theory of inertial motions, which predicts horizontal oscillations of frequency f for f-plane geometries in the absence of horizontal and vertical pressure gradients. If this approximation is removed, an oscillation is found within the framework of linear theory that comes rather close to the conventional inertial mode. Motions are quasi-horizontal and the frequency is almost equal to f. However, oscillations vanish at the ground in contrast to the standard theory. Gravity, compressibility, and, in particular, pressure gradient forces are important to this oscillation in addition to Coriolis forces.

Corresponding author address: Dr. Joseph Egger, Meteorologisches Institut, Universität München, Theresienstraße 37, 80333 München, Germany.

Abstract

Coriolis terms proportional to cosφ are omitted in the conventional theory of inertial motions, which predicts horizontal oscillations of frequency f for f-plane geometries in the absence of horizontal and vertical pressure gradients. If this approximation is removed, an oscillation is found within the framework of linear theory that comes rather close to the conventional inertial mode. Motions are quasi-horizontal and the frequency is almost equal to f. However, oscillations vanish at the ground in contrast to the standard theory. Gravity, compressibility, and, in particular, pressure gradient forces are important to this oscillation in addition to Coriolis forces.

Corresponding author address: Dr. Joseph Egger, Meteorologisches Institut, Universität München, Theresienstraße 37, 80333 München, Germany.

Save
  • Durran, D., 1993: Is the Coriolis force really responsible for the inertial oscillation? Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.,74, 2179–2184.

  • Eckart, C., 1960: Hydrodynamics of Oceans and Atmospheres. Pergamon Press, 285 pp.

  • Etling, D., 1971: The stability of a Ekman boundary layer as influenced by the thermal stratification. Beitr. Phys. Atmos.,44, 168–186.

  • Holton, J., 1992: An Introduction to Dynamic Meteoroloy. Academic Press, 511 pp.

  • Huschke, R., Ed., 1959: Glossary of Meteorology. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 638 pp.

  • Leibovich, S., and S. Lele, 1985: The influence of the horizontal component of Earth’s angular velocity on the instability of the Ekman layer. J. Fluid Mech.,150, 41–87.

  • Wippermann, F., 1969: The orientation of vortices due to instability of Ekman boundary layer. Beitr. Phys. Atmos.,48, 30–45.

  • WMO, 1992: International meteorological vocabulary. World Meteorological Organization WMO/OMM/BMO 182, 784 pp.

All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 534 228 69
PDF Downloads 254 71 1