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Observations and Modelling of Fronts and Frontogenesis

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fields before an upwelling event wipes out the pycnocline at<br />

the mixed layer base.<br />

III.2.d Outline <strong>of</strong> numerical method<br />

We outline the numerical method here, giving the details<br />

in Appendix B. All variables are nondimensional in this sub-<br />

section (i.e. , primes on nondimensional variables have been<br />

dropped).<br />

We prescribe, on a grid <strong>of</strong> points, the initial<br />

distribution <strong>of</strong> density, layer depths, <strong>and</strong> geostrophic<br />

velocities:<br />

2l(Y,0) 2lo;<br />

h(y,O) = ho, Ui(Y,O) uiO, i=l,2,3. (27)<br />

In the cases we consider here, these will all be constant.<br />

The constant density difference 32<br />

between layers 2 <strong>and</strong> 3<br />

must also be specified. The initial conditions must satisfy<br />

the thermal wind relations (15).<br />

We then solve the boundary value problem for the<br />

ageostrophic velocities, (16) <strong>and</strong> (17), by finite difference<br />

methods. In nondimensional form, these equations are,<br />

(2l11l27ly)y h1(l u2y)(vl - v2)<br />

= r + (l/2)[h1(Q + 2lWe)Jy (28a)<br />

32th3hT3)yy + (1 u2y)v2 - (1 u3y)v3 = 0. (28b)<br />

The nondimensional boundary conditions are identical to the<br />

dimensional conditions (17).<br />

62

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