Multiple solutions and adveciton-dominated flows in the wind-driven circulation. part 1: slip

Steady state solutions of the barotropic vorticity equation for a wind-driven ocean circulation model, constrained by quasigeostrophic and beta-plane approximations, depends on the inertial and viscous boundary-layer widths. Numerical calculations for the slip boundary conditions reveal a wedge-type region which integrates a solution for moderate recirculation, viscous solution for weak recirculation and a solution for highly nonlinear recirculation gyre. Previous works involving multiple solutions are compared.