Unbuttressed Newtonian grounding-line stress 2026-10-06
For a two-dimensional Newtonian fluid ice sheet attached to an unbuttressed ice shelf, ice-sheet flotation gives . The difference between the depth-integrated ice and ocean hydrostatic pressures is , where . Shelf force balance integrates to a constant; absence of a buttressing force makes that constant zero. The shallow-shelf approximation therefore gives the displayed boundary condition, or with kinematic viscosity .
Vertically averaged alpha closure for a mixed-pressure layer Created 2026-10-07 Updated 2026-10-14
For the constant gas-radiation ratio vertical disc structure, the integrated alpha prescription gives the displayed mean kinematic viscosity and . Uniform dynamic viscosity and nonuniform pressure are compatible because this prescription is an integrated equality. Imposing the corresponding pointwise equality would not preserve the exact vertical solution.
With weak kinematic viscosity , zero buoyancy diffusion and locally unchanged plane internal gravity wave polarization, the displacement pseudomomentum of an internal gravity wave obeys . For constant wavenumbers and a stationary wave envelope, proves the displayed amplitude decay. Decay is along the group velocity, so describes a source above the receiving level. In a slowly varying shear flow, use wave action and the changing intrinsic frequency rather than treating as constant.
Viscous attenuation of an internal-wave beam Created 2026-09-28 Updated 2026-10-14
When kinematic viscosity and mass diffusivity are equal to , a monochromatic internal-wave beam with wavenumber and ray angle has leading stream-function amplitudeThe cubic dependence on makes slope-focused, short internal waves dissipate especially rapidly.
Viscous-convective scalar range 2026-10-14
For scalar diffusivity much smaller than kinematic viscosity, a scalar has structure below the Kolmogorov length scale while the velocity is smooth. The strain rate transfers scalar variance, giving . Integration produces a logarithm plus an additive matching constant.
Viscous diffusion time Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
Viscous magnetic-relaxation energy identity 2026-10-14
For constant mass density , kinematic viscosity , ideal induction, zero boundary velocity and tangent magnetic field, put . Multiplying the momentum equation by and integrating cancels pressure work and advective flux. The magnetic-energy derivative is minus the integral of Lorentz force density dotted with velocity, canceling the same work in the kinetic-energy equation. Integration by parts then gives the displayed identity. For incompressible flow with zero boundary velocity, .
Zeroth law of turbulence 2026-10-14
At fixed outer velocity and integral scale of turbulence, the mean viscous dissipation per unit mass approaches a positive finite value as the Reynolds number becomes large. The dimensionless coefficient is then of order one. This is a phenomenological property of established three-dimensional turbulence, not a consequence of taking kinematic viscosity to zero in an arbitrary smooth flow.