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One distinction between the tank experiment and the earth is that while the Coriolis parameter changes at each location of the earth (due to a constantly changing angle phi, or the angle equivalent to the earth's latitude), whereas it remains constant in the tank because the Coriolis parameter remains unchanged. Therefore, in order to simulate the change in regime from a Hadley cell-dominated means of heat transport to one tyrannized by rotating eddies, the rotation rate of the tank must be manually changed. At some threshold of rotation rate, the fluid will transition from being laminar in solid-body rotation to turbulent, resulting in changes in the means of heat transport.
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Theory
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Atmospheric Data: Analysis
Atmospheric Data: Results
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Laminar Flow in Tank: Analysis and Results
To begin, we first executed the experiment at a low rotation rate to instigate laminar, Hadley cell heat transport. Prior to initializing tank rotation, five thermistors were installed within the tank, as is visible in Figure 1.4:
Figure 1.4. (Above)
Given the warming of the water towards the edges (relative) and cooling towards the center as the fluid continued to subduct, one would expect sensor 2 or 3 to report the warmest temperature, whereas the coolest temperatures should be observed at sensor 5. Figure 1.5 depicts the temperatures recorded at each thermistor:
Figure 1.5 (Below)
As expected, thermistors 2 and 3 consistently reported the greatest temperature, while probe five, the deepest, was by far the coolest. This is clearly indicative of the expected behaviors of the Hadley cell. Also noteworthy in the above plot are several "milestones" in the experiment. Since the thermistors were inserted prior to anything else was set up, they recorded the rise in temperature when the water (slightly above room temperature) was added, the insertion of ice into the central container, and the "mixing" of the fluid when the tank was set about rotating.