Eddies and vortices in ocean basin dynamics

A wind-driven, closed-basin quasi-geostrophic ocean model is computed at very high horizontal resolution to study the effect of increasing Reynolds number (Re) on eddy variability. Five numerical simulations are performed with identical configurations, varying only in horizontal resolution and viscosity coefficient (and therefore Re). Qualitative changes in the structure of eddy variability are evident in the dramatic increase of isolated vortex structures at the highest Re. While the time-mean kinetic energy is relatively independent of Re, the vortex emergence contributes to a continual increase with Re of eddy kinetic energy and meridional vorticity flux. The rate of increase slows somewhat at the highest Re, indicating the possibility of a regime where eddy variability becomes insensitive to further increases in Re.