Articles | Volume 27, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-147-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-147-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Review article
| Highlight paper
| 
03 Apr 2020
Review article | Highlight paper |
| 03 Apr 2020
| 03 Apr 2020
Baroclinic and barotropic instabilities in planetary atmospheres: energetics, equilibration and adjustment
Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
Invited contribution by Peter Read, recipient of the EGU Lewis Fry Richardson Medal 2016.
Daniel Kennedy
Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik,
Greifswald, Germany
Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
Neil Lewis
Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
Hélène Scolan
Laboratoire de Mécanique des Fluides et d'Acoustique, Université de Lyon, France
Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
Fachreddin Tabataba-Vakili
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, USA
Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
Yixiong Wang
Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
Susie Wright
Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
Roland Young
Department of Physics & National Space Science and Technology Center,
United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
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Cited
27 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Transport and emergent stratification in the equilibrated Eady model: the vortex-gas scaling regime B. Gallet et al.
- Barotropic instability of a time-dependent parallel flow T. Radko
- Parameterisation of small-scale random forcing in β-plane turbulence W. Jackman & J. Esler
- Numerical dissipation strongly affects the equatorial jet speed in simulations of hot Jupiter atmospheres M. Hammond & D. Abbot
- A Laboratory Model for a Meandering Zonal Jet K. Stewart & F. Macleod
- Role of the Europe–China Pattern Teleconnection in the Interdecadal Autumn Dry–Wet Fluctuations in Central China L. Jiang et al.
- Baroclinic instability from an experimental perspective U. Harlander et al.
- On the β$$ \beta $$‐effect in the baroclinic instability of a continuously stratified atmosphere J. Vázquez Portillo & A. Segalini
- Temperature Structures Associated with Different Components of the Atmospheric Circulation on Tidally Locked Exoplanets N. Lewis & M. Hammond
- Building transport models from baroclinic wave experimental data M. Agaoglou et al.
- Laboratory study of geostrophic adjustment in a two-layer fluid in the presence of a shallow water layer N. Shmakova et al.
- On the influence of the heat transfer at the free surface of a thermally driven rotating annulus G. Meletti et al.
- Multistability and Rare Spontaneous Transitions in Barotropic β-Plane Turbulence E. Simonnet et al.
- Lorenz Energy Cycle Climatology for the Southwestern Atlantic Cyclones D. de Souza et al.
- The turbulent dynamics of Jupiter’s and Saturn’s weather layers: order out of chaos? P. Read et al.
- Exploring Jupiter's Polar Deformation Lengths with High-resolution Shallow Water Modeling A. Hyder et al.
- Coastal deformation in southern Sicily assessed using Sentinel-1 InSAR: observed changes before and after Medicane Apollo with baseline temporal comparisons F. Tri Laksono et al.
- Gigantic Vortices From Barotropic Instability Observed in the Atmosphere of Venus T. Horinouchi et al.
- Edge-wave phase shifts versus normal-mode phase tilts in an Eady problem with a sloping boundary J. Mak et al.
- A new mathematical model of rigid boundary in shear flows R. Chanishvili et al.
- Bound states for a quasigeostrophic two-layer model in a baroclinic shear flow X. Wu & Y. Shen
- Revisiting the rare transition of a South Atlantic cyclone to tropical storm Akará: energy cycle and stratosphere-troposphere interaction D. de Souza et al.
- Convective storms in closed cyclones in Jupiter: (II) numerical modeling P. Iñurrigarro et al.
- Equatorial Waves and Superrotation in the Stratosphere of a Titan General Circulation Model N. Lewis et al.
- Laboratory Experiments in Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics M. Le Bars & D. Lemasquerier
- Rotational/divergent flow and energy conversion of thermal tides in a Venus general circulation model M. Yamamoto et al.
- Flow patterns of Jupiter's south polar region J. Rogers et al.
27 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Transport and emergent stratification in the equilibrated Eady model: the vortex-gas scaling regime B. Gallet et al.
- Barotropic instability of a time-dependent parallel flow T. Radko
- Parameterisation of small-scale random forcing in β-plane turbulence W. Jackman & J. Esler
- Numerical dissipation strongly affects the equatorial jet speed in simulations of hot Jupiter atmospheres M. Hammond & D. Abbot
- A Laboratory Model for a Meandering Zonal Jet K. Stewart & F. Macleod
- Role of the Europe–China Pattern Teleconnection in the Interdecadal Autumn Dry–Wet Fluctuations in Central China L. Jiang et al.
- Baroclinic instability from an experimental perspective U. Harlander et al.
- On the β$$ \beta $$‐effect in the baroclinic instability of a continuously stratified atmosphere J. Vázquez Portillo & A. Segalini
- Temperature Structures Associated with Different Components of the Atmospheric Circulation on Tidally Locked Exoplanets N. Lewis & M. Hammond
- Building transport models from baroclinic wave experimental data M. Agaoglou et al.
- Laboratory study of geostrophic adjustment in a two-layer fluid in the presence of a shallow water layer N. Shmakova et al.
- On the influence of the heat transfer at the free surface of a thermally driven rotating annulus G. Meletti et al.
- Multistability and Rare Spontaneous Transitions in Barotropic β-Plane Turbulence E. Simonnet et al.
- Lorenz Energy Cycle Climatology for the Southwestern Atlantic Cyclones D. de Souza et al.
- The turbulent dynamics of Jupiter’s and Saturn’s weather layers: order out of chaos? P. Read et al.
- Exploring Jupiter's Polar Deformation Lengths with High-resolution Shallow Water Modeling A. Hyder et al.
- Coastal deformation in southern Sicily assessed using Sentinel-1 InSAR: observed changes before and after Medicane Apollo with baseline temporal comparisons F. Tri Laksono et al.
- Gigantic Vortices From Barotropic Instability Observed in the Atmosphere of Venus T. Horinouchi et al.
- Edge-wave phase shifts versus normal-mode phase tilts in an Eady problem with a sloping boundary J. Mak et al.
- A new mathematical model of rigid boundary in shear flows R. Chanishvili et al.
- Bound states for a quasigeostrophic two-layer model in a baroclinic shear flow X. Wu & Y. Shen
- Revisiting the rare transition of a South Atlantic cyclone to tropical storm Akará: energy cycle and stratosphere-troposphere interaction D. de Souza et al.
- Convective storms in closed cyclones in Jupiter: (II) numerical modeling P. Iñurrigarro et al.
- Equatorial Waves and Superrotation in the Stratosphere of a Titan General Circulation Model N. Lewis et al.
- Laboratory Experiments in Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics M. Le Bars & D. Lemasquerier
- Rotational/divergent flow and energy conversion of thermal tides in a Venus general circulation model M. Yamamoto et al.
- Flow patterns of Jupiter's south polar region J. Rogers et al.
Saved (final revised paper)
Discussed (final revised paper)
Latest update: 18 May 2026
Short summary
Baroclinic and barotropic instabilities are well known as the processes responsible for the production of the most important energy-containing eddies in the atmospheres and oceans of Earth and other planets. Linear and nonlinear instability theories provide insights into when such instabilities may occur, grow to a large amplitude and saturate, with examples from the laboratory, simplified numerical models and planetary atmospheres. We conclude with a number of open issues for future research.
Baroclinic and barotropic instabilities are well known as the processes responsible for the...
