The origin of jets and vortices in turbulent oceans and atmospheres

Laboratoire(s)/équipe(s) du LabEx OSUG impliqué(e.s) : LEGI, St Andrews University, Ecosse
Porteur du projet : Jan-Bert FLOR

Résumé

The Earth’s Jetstream and the multiple jets on Jupiter are the most well known large-scale motions in planetary atmospheres. Closer observation shows that these jets are embedded in a sea of small-scale vortices that are present due to instabilities of the main flow as well as convective forcing on smaller scales. How the large and small scales of motion cooperate to generate observed planetary circulations is still an open question that is fundamental to our understanding of the Earth’s climate as well as other planetary atmospheres. In this combined experimentalnumerical research we consider an experiment in which small-scale vortices are artificially generated to interact with a well-controlled large-scale baroclinic front. We will explore the transfer of energy from the baroclinic to the barotropic scales, the formation of intense vortices, and of planetary jets.

Soutien attribué en 2017 : 8 000 €