Baroclinic eddy formation in a Rhine plume model

A three-dimensional finite difference tidal model, including advective and diffusive transport of salinity, is used in the two-layer model for simulation of Rhine water outflow. Layer depths are adjusted in a way that no advective transports between upper and lower layer take place in case of sufficiently stable stratification. Model results show frontal eddy development related to (limited) growing internal waves in case of weak northeasterly to southeasterly winds. It is shown that baroclinically unstable conditions occur, related to vertical velocity shear, resulting in frontal meanders with wave lengths between 18 and 30 km. Satellite images of sea surface temperature show a comparable behaviour of the temperature front, which is strongly correlated with the salinity front of the Rhine plume. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.