Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1994
DOI
0.1175/1520-0426(1994)011<1126:TPGCOS>2.0.CO;2
Publication Title
Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology
Volume
11
Issue
4 (part 2)
Pages
1126-1134
Abstract
It is shown that the differencing scheme cited here, though conventional, is not hydrostatically inconsistent; the sigma coordinate, pressure gradient error decreases with the square of the vertical and horizontal grid size. Furthermore, it is shown that the pressure gradient error is advectively eliminated after a long time integration. At the other extreme, it is shown that diagnostic calculations of the North Atlantic Ocean using rather coarse resolution, and where the temperature and salinity and the pressure gradient error are held constant, do not exhibit significant differences when compared to a calculation where horizontal pressure gradients are computed on z-level coordinates. Finally, a way of canceling the error ab initio is suggested.
Original Publication Citation
Mellor, G.L., Ezer, T., & Oey, L.Y. (1994). The pressure gradient conundrum of sigma coordinate ocean models. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 11(4 part 2), 1126-1134. doi: 0.1175/1520-0426(1994)0112.0.CO;2
Repository Citation
Mellor, George L.; Ezer, Tal; and Oey, Lie-Yauw, "The Pressure Gradient Conundrum of Sigma Coordinate Ocean Models" (1994). CCPO Publications. 141.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/ccpo_pubs/141
ORCID
0000-0002-3525-1841 (Mellor), 0000-0002-2018-6071 (Ezer)