Nonlinear Analysis of Perturbed Rotating Whirlpools in the Ocean and Atmosphere

Abstract

A non-linear, uniformly stratified ocean model is used to investigate the stability and existence of perturbed rotating whirlpools that represent a certain class of exact solutions for the governing nonlinear equations describing the propagation of internal gravity waves in stratified media. A cutoff frequency γ is identified, beyond which the flow is completely stable to linear disturbances. An analysis close to cutoffs reveals the latitude-dependent distribution of eigenfrequencies of oscillatory and evanescent perturbations of whirlpools.