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Cited by 130Fluid Dynamics and Turbulent FlowsOceanographic and Atmospheric ProcessesMeteorological Phenomena and Simulations

Large-scale vortices in rapidly rotating Rayleigh–Bénard convection

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Guervilly, Céline, Hughes, David W., Jones, Chris A.·2014·Journal of Fluid Mechanics
DOI 10.1017/jfm.2014.542
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Abstract

Using numerical simulations of rapidly rotating Boussinesq convection in a Cartesian box, we study the formation of long-lived, large-scale, depth-invariant coherent structures. These structures, which consist of concentrated cyclones, grow to the horizontal scale of the box, with velocities significantly larger than the convective motions. We vary the rotation rate, the thermal driving and the aspect ratio in order to determine the domain of existence of these large-scale vortices (LSV). We find that two conditions are required for their formation. First, the Rayleigh number, a measure of the thermal driving, must be several times its value at the linear onset of convection; this corresponds to Reynolds numbers, based on the convective velocity and the box depth, $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}{\gtrsim }100$. Second, the rotational constraint on the convective structures must be strong. This requires that the local Rossby number, based on the convective velocity and the horizontal convective scale, ${\lesssim }0.15$. Simulations in which certain wavenumbers are artificially suppressed in spectral space suggest that the LSV are produced by the interactions of small-scale, depth-dependent convective motions. The presence of LSV significantly reduces the efficiency of the convective heat transport.

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  • The latitudinal difference in jet and vortex structure is likely driven by the topographical beta effect, which is stronger near the equator and promotes axisymmetric jets, while at higher latitudes the beta effect decreases and the system approaches a rotating plane layer where giant vortices are favored.

    “This is likely driven by the topographical β effect, due to the spherical shell geometry, which is stronger near the equator, promoting strong axisymmetric jets, while, at higher latitudes, the β -effect decreases and the system approaches a rotating plane layer where the formation of giant vortices is favored”

    From Deep rotating convection generates the polar hexagon on Saturn (2020) · cites this paper as [39]

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  1. Chandrasekhar, S. 1961 Hydrodynamic and Hydromagnetic Stability . Oxford: Clarendon.

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Authors
Guervilly, C., Hughes, D. W., & Jones, C. A.
Affiliations
University of Leeds (GB)
Corresponding author
Guervilly, Céline
ORCID
Guervilly, Céline
Venue
Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2014-10-09
Volume
758
Pages
407-435
ISSN
  • 0022-1120 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-7645
DOI
10.1017/jfm.2014.542
OpenAlex
W2165554754
Cited by
130
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1
FWCI
6.65
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified)
Locations
  • Journal of Fluid Mechanics (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Funders
  • Natural Environment Research Council (NE/J007080/1)
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/I00162X/1, ST/M007006/1, ST/K00042X/1)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Computational Mechanics › Fluid Dynamics and Turbulent Flows
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
Keywords
large-scale vortices, rapidly rotating convection, Rayleigh-Bénard convection, Boussinesq convection, coherent structures, cyclones, Rossby number, Rayleigh number, aspect ratio, convective heat transfer

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