| Western boundary intensification is a major feature of the ocean circulation. It is understood that the change in the Coriolis parameter with latitude is the principal component responsible for this phenomenon. However, traditional arguments for western boundary intensification also call for an interplay between forcing and dissipation. In this thesis, a new geometry, namely the periodic meridional channel, is compared to the closed basin setting in decaying, two-dimensional, beta-plane turbulence. By isolating the effects of the western and eastern boundaries, persistent western boundary intensification is shown to be possible as a balance between nonlinear effects and Rossby wave reflections. The conditions under which this occurs are explained, and particular attention is given to the importance of resolution in resolving the Rossby wave dynamics at the boundaries. A discussion of the regimes that do not exhibit western boundary intensification is also included. |
