Taylor-Couette flow above seamounts

Abstract

A classical Taylor-Couette flow is generated in a homogeneous fluid between two coaxial cylinders rotating with a different angular velocities. The loss of the stability by a Taylor-Couette flow leads to bifurcation and hence to Taylor vortices generation. Consider a seamount in a homogeneous ocean on f-plane in the view of two coaxial cylinder standing one on another when a lower cylinder has a larger diameter. Taylor-Couette flow is formed in a circular area above a ledge as it follows from the topographic eddies theory. Distinguishing feature from the classical case is the additional rotation with Earth. In this paper the generalization of Yudovich theory is made in situation of ocean above seamounts. It was shown that for real ocean the bifurcation of a current in a circular area above a ledge of seamount is possible.