INTERACTION OF A SIMPLE OCEAN MODEL WITH VARIOUS EASTERN BOUNDARY SHAPES

A simple, steady model of the ocean circulation in the Northern Hemisp here is developed based on the ideal fluid thermocline equations. The eastern boundary is represented by a number of different shapes. The s olution is for a subtropical, down-welling gyre. At the eastern bounda ry the integrated mass transport between the surface and ocean floor i s taken to be zero. When the eastern boundary is represented by a line of longitude there is, at the eastern boundary, inflow in the surface region with outflow (towards the west) in the bottom region. The flow is returned to a passive western boundary layer where there is outflo w (eastward) in the surface region while in the bottom region there is inflow in the southern section and outflow in the northern section. T he horizontal flow field is a classical clockwise subtropical gyre wit h intense bottom flow towards the west in the southern portion of the gyre. When the eastern boundary is represented by a line ''slanted'' a t a small angle to the north/south direction the effect of the small ' 'slant'' angle is to modify, but not substantially, the zonal componen t of the velocity. This gives rise to a modification (but not major) i n the horizontal flow field.