Baroclinic instability in vertically discrete systems

Abstract

The Charney-Phillips (1953) standard vertical grid for quasi-geostrophic models is compared with the Lorenz (1960) vertical grid (which departs from the standard grid by carrying horizontal velocity and potential temperature at same levels) in the framework of the quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity equation and baroclinic instability. It is demonstrated that the Charney-Phillips grid makes it possible to maintain important dynamical constraints on quasi-geostrophic flow, such as the conservation of quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity through horizontal advection and resulting integral constraints. The Lorenz grid, on the other hand, is not straightforward even to define quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity. Moreover, due to an extra degree of freedom in potential temperature, the Lorenz grid can falsely satisfy the necessary condition for baroclinic instability near the lower and the upper boundaries.