Question

Given: an air column stretching from surface to fixed tropopause height of 12 km. zeta is initially zero initially. Latitude = 56◦N. Column then moves until over some mountain barrier (mountain barrier height = 1.8 km, latitude 46◦N). Please find the columns absolute and relative vorticity values as said column moves over the mountain barrier. ASSUMPTION: The flow satisfies the barotropic potential vorticity equation.

Answer 1

Given data :

An air column stretching from the surface fixed to tropopause height of 12 km.

H initial = 12 km

Initially the Zeta is zero.

ζ initial = 0

Then column mood until over some mountain barrier.

H final = 1.8 km

To determine : the columns absolute and relative vorticity values.

We assume the flow satisfies the barotropic potential vorticity equation.

Now,

We use the law of conservation of vorticity