Thermobaric flow

Simple model flows demonstrating the combined effect of thermobaricity with either salinity variations or nonlinear temperature-dependence in the equa tion of state of water are investigated. An inviscid. flow exhibits a three -layer behaviour, resulting in the formation of a mid-depth temperature max imum, such as is observed in some high-latitude oceans and deep lakes. This may be subsequently overtaken by nonlinear frontogenesis, which in the vis cous case is shown to generate a thermal ban Thermobaricity shifts the ther mal bar towards the cold water, and initially produces a slope in the downw elling plume, but this transient feature disappears as the dominant frontog enesis tilts the plume back to the vertical. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.