Critical latitude in global quasi-geostrophic flow on a rotating sphere

TL;DR

This study investigates the formation of large zonal jets in geostrophic turbulence on a rotating sphere, focusing on the critical latitude where jets cease to form, using a Casimir-preserving numerical model.

Contribution

It introduces a global quasi-geostrophic model with latitude-dependent Coriolis parameter to analyze the critical latitude phenomenon in jet formation.

Findings

Critical latitude depends on Rossby and Lamb parameters.

Jets form near the equator and diminish towards poles.

Weak rotation and strong stratification regimes lack a clear critical latitude.

Abstract

In this paper, we study geostrophic turbulence without external forcing or dissipation, using a Casimir-preserving numerical method. The research examines the formation of large zonal jets, common in geophysical flows, especially in giant gas planets. These jets form due to the east-west stretching of vortices, influenced by the gradient of the Coriolis parameter, leading to a critical latitude beyond which jets do not form. Using a global quasi-geostrophic model with a fully latitude-dependent Coriolis parameter, we investigate this critical latitude, which is theorized to depend only on the product of the Rossby number and the Lamb parameter. By simulating random flow fields, the critical latitude was identified through zonally averaged zonal velocity profiles. Results align with geostrophic theory, especially near typical Rossby and Lamb parameter values for Earth's atmosphere. However, in the regime of weak rotation (high Rossby numbers) and strong stratification (high Lamb values), no clear critical latitude emerges; instead, zonal jet amplitude and width decrease gradually towards the poles. This research paves the way for further study of jet dynamics under a fully latitude-dependent Coriolis parameter.