Convection in a differentially heated rotating spherical shell of Boussinesq fluid with radiative forcing

In this study we investigate the flow of a Boussinesq fluid contained in a rotating, differentially heated spherical shell. Previous work, on the spherical shell of Boussinesq fluid, differentially heated the shell by prescribing temperature on the inner boundary of the shell, setting the temperature deviation from the reference temperature to vary proportionally with -cos 20, from the equator to the pole. We change the model to include an energy balance equation at the earth's surface, which incorporates latitudinal solar radiation distribution and ice-albedo feedback mechanism with moving ice boundary. For the fluid velocity, on the inner boundary, two conditions are considered: stress-free and no-slip. However, the model under consideration contains only simple representations of a small number of climate variables and thus is not a climate model per se but rather a tool to aid in understanding how changes in these variables may affect our planet's climate. The solution of the model is followed as the differential heating is changed, using the pseudo arc-length continuation method, which is a reliable method that can successfully follow a solution curve even at a turning point. Our main result is in regards to hysteresis phenomenon that is associated with transition from one to multiple convective cells, in a dfferentially heated, co-rotating spherical shell. In particular, we find that hysteresis can be observed without transition from one to multiple convective cells. Another important observation is that the transition to multiple convective cells is significantly suppressed altogether, in the case of stress-free boundary conditions on the fluid velocity. Also, the results of this study will be related to our present-day climate.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Modelling and Computational Science

Grantor

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Babalola, David

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lewis, Greg

• Convection
• Hysteresis
• Cusp bifurcation
• Albedo
• Hadley cell
• Radiative forcing
• Spherical shell
• Boussinesq fluid

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10155/299

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/299