SOUTHERN BOUNDARY FORCING RELATIVE TO GENESIS, MAINTENANCE AND OSCILLATION OF A SUBTROPICAL HIGH^*

A nonlinear critical layer and a Kelvin cat's eye excited thereupon are simulated through four schemes in the context of a nonlinear quasi-geostrophic barotropic vorticity equation model with forced stationary wave acting along the southern boundary to investigate effects of tropical steady forcing on the genesis,maintenance and oscillation of a subtropical high(STH).Evidence suggests that the southern forcing is responsible for the planetary quasi-steady anticyclonic Kelvin cat's eye-form flow field inside the nonlinear critical layer,with the eye shifting,vigor and shape changing quite similar to the behaviors of a summer STH,in striking contrast to the northern stationary forcing.As such,the southern boundary-caused cat's eye is likely to be an even more important mechanism for STH genesis and evolution.In addition,a physical mechanism is introduced for quasi-steady planetary wave moving through the critical layer at subtropical latitudes.