Eady edge wave

For a semi-infinite fluid above a rigid horizontal boundary, constant buoyancy frequency $N$, and thermal wind $U=\Lambda z$, a zero-interior-potential vorticity perturbation has vertical dependence $e^{-\mu z}$, where $\mu =NK/|f_0|$ and $K=(k^2+l^2{)}^{1/2}$. Material conservation of boundary buoyancy gives $c{\varphi }^{\prime }(0)+\Lambda \varphi (0)=0$. Thus its phase velocity relative to the boundary flow is $c=\Lambda /\mu$. The wave's time dependence resides in its boundary condition; the interior field follows by potential-vorticity inversion. MIT's Eady-edge-wave notes develop this boundary-wave interpretation.

With uniform thermal wind $U=\Lambda z$ above a plane boundary, write the zero-interior-potential vorticity response as ${\psi }^{\prime }=\mathrm{Re}\{A{e}^{-\mu z+i(kx+ly)}\}$, where $\mu =N\sqrt{k^2+l^2}/f$ and $f>0$. Boundary vertical velocity $ϵ\cos (kx+ly-{\omega }_{0}t)$ gives $C=N^2ϵ/(f\mu )$ and natural angular frequency $\omega =\Lambda k/\mu$. An initially zero response has $A=C(e^{-i{\omega }_{0}t}-e^{-i\omega t})/[i(\omega -{\omega }_0)]$. Its continuous resonant limit is $Ct{e}^{-i\omega t}$: forcing in phase with the boundary mode supplies energy every cycle, and linear undamped theory predicts secular growth.

For a semi-infinite stratified fluid with thermal wind $U=\Lambda z$ above a gently sloping boundary $z=\alpha y$, a zero-interior-potential vorticity perturbation decays as $e^{-\mu z}$, where $\mu =N|k|/|f_0|$. The boundary buoyancy perturbation obeys a single oscillatory equation with phase velocity $c=(\Lambda -\alpha N^2/f_0)/\mu$. The topographic and thermal-wind contributions cancel when the boundary follows a background isopycnal.