Western Boundary Intensification Width
Compare Munk lateral-viscosity and Stommel linear-drag boundary scales under supplied positive beta; these are alternative ideal balances, not a combined current-width solution.
Description
Western boundary-current width can arise from different ideal friction balances.
Western boundary-current width can arise from different ideal friction balances. Munk and Stommel scales represent alternative balances.
Compare Munk lateral-viscosity and Stommel linear-drag boundary scales under supplied positive beta; these are alternative ideal balances, not a combined current-width solution.
When to use Western Boundary Intensification Width
Use this tool to compare Munk lateral-viscosity and Stommel linear-drag boundary scales under supplied positive beta; these are alternative ideal balances, not a combined current-width solution.
Gather the water, wave, current or profile observations and any supplied calibration constants. Confirm units and the stated coordinate and pressure conventions.
How to use Western Boundary Intensification Width and understand its results
- Gather the water, wave, current or profile observations and any supplied calibration constants. Confirm units and the stated coordinate and pressure conventions.
- Enter horizontalEddyViscosityM2PerSecond, linearDragPerSecond, betaPerMeterSecond using the field table and calculation rules, then run the tool.
- Read munkWidthM, stommelWidthM, largerScaleCode. The explanation below defines the units, signs, ordering and any flags or placeholder values.
- If the tool reports an input issue, correct the values and run it again. Apply the stated assumptions when interpreting a successfully returned result.
| Input field | Meaning | Value type; see rules below | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| horizontalEddyViscosityM2PerSecond | Horizontal eddy viscosity m2 per second | number | Required |
| linearDragPerSecond | Linear drag per second | number | Required |
| betaPerMeterSecond | Beta per meter second | number | Required |
Use positive horizontal viscosity and beta and nonnegative linear drag. Return both widths and code 1 for larger Munk, 2 for larger Stommel, or 0 for exact equality.1
Munk width = (eddy viscosity/beta)^(1/3); Stommel width = drag/beta Units, indexing, boundary conditions and exceptional cases are defined in the calculation rules above.
| Output field | Meaning | Value type |
|---|---|---|
| munkWidthM | Munk width m | number |
| stommelWidthM | Stommel width m | number |
| largerScaleCode | Larger scale code | number |
{
"input": {
"horizontalEddyViscosityM2PerSecond": 8,
"linearDragPerSecond": 2,
"betaPerMeterSecond": 1
},
"output": {
"munkWidthM": 2,
"stommelWidthM": 2,
"largerScaleCode": 0
}
}Limitations and assumptions
The scales are not combined into a solved current width.
Numbers and computed results must be finite; overflow produces an error. Missing required fields, extra fields, wrong value types and violations of the calculation rules are input errors.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use Sverdrup Interior Transport: Compute signed Sverdrup interior transport per width and supplied strip transport; assumes steady linear vorticity balance, not a western boundary current or global circulation prediction. For a complementary task, use Baroclinic Rossby Wave Speed: Calculate dispersive beta-plane baroclinic Rossby-wave phase/frequency from supplied deformation radius and wave numbers; distinct from an existing lake deformation-radius inversion.
References
-
Western Boundary Intensification Width — tool.io
Similar or alternative tools
- Sverdrup Interior Transport
Compute signed Sverdrup interior transport per width and supplied strip transport; assumes steady linear vorticity balance, not a western boundary current or global circulation prediction.
- Baroclinic Rossby Wave Speed
Calculate dispersive beta-plane baroclinic Rossby-wave phase/frequency from supplied deformation radius and wave numbers; distinct from an existing lake deformation-radius inversion.