M. Nakamura et Ra. Plumb, THE EFFECTS OF FLOW ASYMMETRY ON THE DIRECTION OF ROSSBY-WAVE BREAKING, Journal of the atmospheric sciences, 51(14), 1994, pp. 2031-2045
The relationship between the direction of the breaking of Rossby waves
on an isolated jet and the cross-jet asymmetry of the flow is investi
gated. The flow structure of a circular jet is, under most circumstanc
es, such that waves break uniquely outward, although the authors contr
ive a flow on which breaking is uniquely inward. The influence on the
direction of the breaking of the location of critical lines in the und
isturbed flow is discussed. On a straight jet with asymmetric shear, t
here are three wave amplitude regimes: weak waves do not break; waves
of moderate amplitude break only toward the closer critical line; and
waves of sufficiently large amplitude break both ways.