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Re: Potential Vorticity and spiciness



Hello David,
	I'm sending my reply to the Ferret user group so it will be
available with the earlier message you located.
Good luck, Mick
--------------------------------------------------------
	Many moons ago in reponse to a user group question I provided
a routine for the oceanographic "variable" spiciness.  At the time I could
not easily locate the reference.
	After some racking of brains following a similar question I came
up with the following (the original article I believe)

Title: A state variable for characterizing water masses and their
       diffusive stability: spiciness
Author(s): P. Flament
Source: Progress in Oceanography Volume: 54 Number: 1 Page: 493 -- 501
Abstract: A state variable (,s) most sensitive to isopycnal
    thermohaline variations and least correlated with the density field
    is proposed.  is constructed so that its diapycnal gradient d is
    related to the density gradient ratio R:d~(1+R)/(1-R). It is
    simultaneously a tracer conserved by isentropic motions, and an
    indicator of diffusive stability. It is useful for the combined
    description of interleaving and double-diffusive processes at the
    boundary between water masses.

Spiciness was used in
Title: The coastal ocean off Oregon and northern California during the
       1997-8 El Nino
Author(s): A. Huyer; R.L. Smith ; J. Fleischbein
Source: Progress in Oceanography  Volume: 54 Number: 1 Page: 311 -- 341

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