Physical Oceanography Lecture #2

Geostrophic current

Yuji Kashino
Evening on the sea
 Tsushima
Warm Current

Kuroshio
Extension

Kuroshio

Mean transport is about

40 Sv (1Sv=106m3/s)
Sea surface height observed by satellites（unit: ｍ）

L
H
Ocean observation by Japan Meteorological Agency
in January 2007

(web page of Kobe

Marine Observatory of
Japan Meteorological
Agency)
 Temperature
←Coast Velocity and volume
(North) transport

Isotherms slope at
Countercurrent the location of
flows. Kuroshio.
Temperature near
the coast is low.

This is Kuroshio.
Maximum velocity Salinity
exceeds 1.6m/s.

Similar structure to
Current speed
temperature
decrease to 0.5m/s
below 500m.

There is a salinity
minimum.
Width is 200km. (web page of Kobe Marine Observatory
of Japan Meteorological Agency)
 T

Cold Warm

(Open Univ.., 1989)

Geostrophic balance：
Pressure gradient ＝ Coriolis force

What is pressure gradient?

When a water tank is tilted,
what is happen? Low High

Then, pressure difference (pressure gradient) is produced

below surface.
It drives motion of water which flows from high pressure to
low pressure.
What is happen in the case of large scale motion on the
rotating coordinate (northern hemisphere)?

1. Pressure gradient
drives westward flow.
East
West
2. Because of Coriolis Low High
force, direction of the pressure pressure
flow is changed to the
Coriolis
northwest. force

3. Finally, pressure gradient

balances with Colioris force. Pressure
Then flow direction is toward gradient

north (geostropic adjustment).

Thus, geostropic current flows seeing high pressure to the
right (northern hemisphere).
Weather chart on 500hPa (00Z) 1 November 2008, 9:00 (JST)
（Japan Meteorological Agency）
  v sinθ w cosθ
Fc  2Ω  u  2 
  u sinθ 
 P 
1 1  x 
 P  
   P 
 y 

When f  2 sinθ, (θ is latitude.)

1 P 1 P
u and v
f y f x

That is, velocity can be estimated if we can measure

pressure distribution.
 Geostrophic
Current
90 degree
Pressure
Coriolis force
gradient
90 degree

Geostrophic
Low pressure Current High pressure
（Low sea surface height) (High sea surface height)
Black: Northern hemisphere
Red: Southern hemisphere
Calculation of pressure gradient
1
(where   , called specific volume)
Balance in vertical direction: 
P
P Pressure gradient＝ 
n
 cos   g Isobaric
n n B
surface
A
Balance in horizontal V
direction: Horizontal
plane
φ
P
 sin   fV Coriolis force＝ｆV
n
gravity＝g
Then、 fV  g tan 

Thus, geostrophic velocity can be calculated when angle

between isobaric surface and horizontal plane, φ, is measured.
However, it is difficult to measure φ, because we
cannot determine horizontal plane by observation.

Sea surface is not horizontal.

For example, sea surface across the Kuroshio and

Gulf Stream is tiled by 1m per 100km.

Therefore, geostrophic current velocity is

calculated refer to “reference level”, where zero
velocity is assumed.
Consider the case of right A Distance = L B
figure:
B1 Isobaric
On the isobaric surface 1, surface 1
A1 V1 C1
Horizontal
fV 1  g tan  1 plane
φ1
B2 Isobaric
and on the isobaric surface 2, V2
surface 2
Horizontal
fV 2  g tan  2 A2
C2
plane
φ2

When we assume that isobaric surface 2 is reference

level (V2=0), geostrophic velocity (V1) on isobaric
surface 1 can be calculated as the velocity difference
(V1-V2).
In fact,
g g  B1C1 B2C2 
V 1 V 2  (tan  1  tan  2)    
f f  L L 
g
 B1B2  C1C2   g B1B2  A1A2 
fL fL

From hydrostatic approximation, gdz  dp .

We define as ｇｄｚ＝ｄΦ, where Φ is geopotential (or

dynamic height).

P2
Then, gB1B2  B    Bdp
P1

P2
gA1A2  A    Adp
P1
Specific volume,α, is written as

 (T , S , P)   (0,35, P )  
δ is called specific volume anomaly.

Previous equation is rewritten as follows:

g
V 1 V 2  B1B2  A1A2   1 B  A 
fL fL
1  P2
 P1 Bdp  P1 Adp 
P2

fL  

We can estimate geostropic velocity between A and B

when specific volume anomalies at A and B are integrated.
41°55’N

41°28’N
Distance between points on the meridian: L
L = R ✕ Δθ
R
Where L is distance, R is earth radius, and
Δθ is difference of latitude in radian.
Δθ
AB  R    6378  10 3

55  28 
  50  103 ( m)
60 180
Calculation of Coriolis parameter:
2 π
f  2 sin   2  sin 
86164 Period of the earth
rotation in seconds
(sidereal day)
2
In Bali, f  2   sin  8.37  2.1  105 (/s)
86164
2
In Yamaguchi, f  2   sin 34.18  8.2  105 (/s)
86164
（Pond and Pickard, 1983）
（Pond and Pickard, 1983）
 Reference level

（Pond and Pickard, 1983）

 Isopycnals tilt in
reverse of
isobaric surfaces.
B1 Isobaric
surface 1
A1 V1 C1
Horizontal
plane
φ1
B2 Isobaric
V2 surface 2
Horizontal
C2
A2 φ2 plane

（Pond and Pickard, 1983）

A1A2＜B2B1

This means that mean density at A is larger than that at B.

(Slope of Isobars do not coincide with that of isopycnals.)
 Isobaric
Isobaric
surface
surface
Heavy V1 Light
Isopycnal
V1
Isopycnal
Isobaric Isobaric
V2 Surface V2 surface
Isopycnal Isopycnal
Horizontal
plane

Isopycnals are paralell to Isopycnals are not paralell to

isobaric surfaces. isobaric surfaces.
Then, V1＝V2. Then, V1 ≠ V2.
→ Barotropic → Baroclinic

Geostropic velocity is baroclinic velocity.