Temporal, spatial and pulse instabilities of the Gulf Stream

Abstract

This thesis addresses the issue, "Which approach to instabilities-temporal, spatial or pulse theory- is the most appropriate model for the Gulf Stream?" I also address the question of how the observations might be compared to theory. This thesis consists of two closely related parts: analytical studies that compare the three types of instability using the same realistic velocity and topography profiles; and numerical modeling that uses a continuous forcing function to examine the three types of theory in the direct context of the Gulf Stream.