William Young

Professor/Researcher

Room: Revelle Lab PORD

Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics,
Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, CA 92093-0225, USA.

Telephone: (858) 534-1380

Email: wryoung@ucsd.edu

Research Interests:

• Internal gravity waves
• Two-dimensional and geostrophic turbulence
• Tracer dispersion in fluid flows
• The general circulation of the ocean

Courses Taught:

• MAE294A (Methods/Applied Mechanics I)
• MAE294B (Intro/Applied Mathematics II)
• MAE294B (Methods/Applied Mechanics II)
• MAE294C (Intro/Applied Mathematics III)
• MAE294C (Methods/Applied Mechanics III)
• SIO203A (Methods of Applied Analysis)
• SIO203B (Intro/Applied Mathematics II)
• SIO203B (Methods of Applied Analysis)
• SIO203C (Intro/Applied Mathematics III)
• SIO203C (Methods of Applied Analysis)
• SIO212B (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics)
• SIO219 (Spec Topics/Physical Oceanogra)
• SIO299 (Research)

Recent publications: ^†

• Young, W.R., Y.-K. Tsang and N.J. Balmforth 2008. Near-inertial parametric subharmonic instability. J. Fluid Mech. 607 pp 25-49.
• Young, W.R., P.B. Rhines, and C.J.R. Garrett, 1982. Shear-flow dispersion, internal waves, and horizontal mixing in the ocean. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 12, 515-527.
• Young, W.R., and S. Jones, 1991. Shear dispersion. Phys Fluid, A. 3, 1087-1101.
• Young, W.R., and S. Jones, 1991. Dispersion in an unconsolidated porous medium. Phys. Fluids A., 3, 2468-2470.
• Young, W.R., and P.B. Rhines, 1980. Rossby wave action, energy, and entrophy in forced mean flows. Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn., 15, 39-52.
• Young, W.R., and M. Ben Jelloul, 1997. Propagation of near-inertial oscillations through a geostrophic flow. J. Mar. Res., 55, 735-766.
• Young, W.R., and G.R. Ierley, 1986. Eastern boundary conditions and weak solutions of the ideal thermocline equations. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 16, 1884-1900.
• Young, W.R., A.J. Roberts and G. Stuhne, 2001. Reproductive pair correlations and the clustering of organisms. Nature 412, 328-331.
• Young, W.R., A. Pumir, and Y. Pomeau, 1989. Anomalous diffusion of tracer in convection rolls. Phys. Fluids, A-1, 462-469.
• Young, W.R., 1995. Decaying two-dimensional turbulence. Turbulence, A Tentative Dictionary, 1-4, Eds. P. Tabeling and O. Cardoso, Plenum Press.
• Young, W.R., 1994. The subinertial mixed layer approximation. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 24, 1812-1826.
• Young, W.R., 1988. Arrested shear dispersion and other models of anomalous diffusion. J. Fluid Mech., 193, 129-149.
• Young, W.R., 1987. Selective decay of entrophy and the excitation of barotropic waves in a channel. J. Atm. Sci., 44, 2804-2812.
• Young, W.R., 1987. Baroclinic Circulation Theories. In: The General Circulation of the Oceans., ed. by H.D.I. Abarbanel and W. R. Young, Springer-Verlag.
• Young, W.R., 1986. Elliptical vortices in shallow water. J. Fluid Mech., 171, 101-119.
• Young, W.R., 1985. Some interactions between small numbers of baroclinic vortices. Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn., 33, 35-61.
• Young, W.R., 1984. The role of western boundary layers in gyre scale ocean mixing. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 14, 478-483.
• Young, W.R., 1983. Topographic rectification of tidal currents. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 13, 716-721.
• Young, W.R. and L. Chen, 1995. Baroclinic instability and thermohaline gradient alignment in the mixed layer. J. Phys. Oceanogr, 25, 3172-3185.
• Vallis, G.K., G.F., Carnevale, and W.R. Young, 1989. Extremal energy properties and construction of stable solutions of the Euler equations. J. Fluid Mech., 207, 133-152.
• Tsang, Y-K and W.R. Young 2008. Energy-enstrophy stability of beta-plane Kolmogorov flow with drag. Phys. Fluids 20, 084102
• Thompson, L., and W.R. Young, 1989. An upper bound on the size of sub-mesoscale coherent vortices. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 19, 233-237.
• Thompson, A.F. and W.R. Young 2007. Two-layer Baroclinic Eddy Heat Fluxes: Zonal Flows and Energy Balance. J. Atmos. Sci., 64, 3214-3231.
• Tang, W., Caulfield, C.P. and W.R. Young, 2005. Bounds on dissipation in stress-driven in a rotating frame. J.Fluid Mech., 540, 373-391.
• Stommel, H. M. and W.R. Young, 1993. The average T-S relation of astochastically forced box model. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 23, 151-158.
• Snyder, A.W., and W.R. Young, 1978. Modes of optical waveguides. J. Opt. Soc. Am., 68, 297-309.
• Roemmich, D., M.Y. Morris, W. R. Young and J.R. Donguy, 1994. Fresh equatorial jets. J. Phys Oceanogr.., 24, 540-558.
• Rhines, P.B., and W.R. Young, 1983. How rapidly is passive scalar mixed within closed streamlines? J. Fluid Mech., 133, 135-145.
• Rhines, P.B., and W.R. Young, 1982. Homogenization of potential vorticity in planetary gyres. J. Fluid Mech., 122, 347-367.
• Rhines, P.B., and W.R. Young, 1982. A theory of the wind-driven circulation, I- mid-ocean gyres. J. Mar. Res., 40, Supp. 559-596.
• Plasting, S.C. and W.R. Young, 2006. A bound on scalar variance for the advection diffusion equation. J.Fluid Mech., 552, 289-298.
• Pierce, B.P., and W.R. Young, 1986. Lycaenid butterflies and ants: two-species stable equilibria in mutualistic, commensal and parastic interactions. Am Naturalist, 128, 216-227.
• Pedlosky, J., and W. R. Young, 1983. Ventilation, potential vorticity homogenization and the structure of the ocean circulation. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 13, 2020-2037.
• Paparella, F. and W.R. Young, 2002. Horizontal convection is nonturbulent. J. Fluid Mech., 466, 205-214.
• Niiler, P.O., D.K. Lee, W.R. Young and J.H. Hu, 1991. Expendable current profiler (XCP) section across the North Pacific at 25N. Deep-Sea Research, 38, Suppl. 1, 545-561.
• McNamara, S. and W.R. Young, 1994. Inelastic collapse in two dimensions. Phys. Rev. E. 50, R28.
• McNamara, S. and W.R. Young, 1993. Kinetics of a one-dimensional granular medium in the quasielastic limit. Phys. Fluids A., 5, 34-45.
• McNamara, S. and W.R. Young, 1992. Inelastic collapse and clumping in a one-dimensional granular medium. Phys. Fluids A., 4, 496-504.
• McNamara S., and W.R. Young, 1996. Dynamics of a freely evolving, two-dimensional granular medium. Phys. Rev. E., 53, 5089-5100.
• Manfroi, A.J., and W.R. Young, 1999. Slow evolution of zonal jets on the beta-plane. J. Atmos. Sci., 56, 784-800.
• Llewellyn Smith, S.G. and W.R. Young, 2003. Tidal conversion at a very steep ridge. J. Fluid Mech., 495, 175-191. Tang, W., Caulfield, C.P. and W.R. Young, 2004. Bounds on dissipation in stress-driven flow J. Fluid Mech., 510, 333-352.
• Llewellyn Smith, S.G. and W.R. Young, 2002. Conversion of the barotropic tide. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 32, 1554-1566.
• Jones, S.W. and W.R. Young, 1994. Shear dispersion and anomalous diffusion by chaotic advection. J. Fluid Mech., 280, 149-172.
• Ierley, G.R., and W.R. Young, 1991. Viscous instabilities in the western boundary layer. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 21, 1323-1332.
• Ierley, G.R., and W.R. Young, 1988. Inertial recirculation in a beta-plane corner. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 18, 683-689.
• Ierley, G.R., and W.R. Young, 1983. Can the western boundary layer affect the potential vorticity distribution in the Sverdrup interior of a wind gyre? J. Phys. Oceanogr., 13, 1753-1763.
• Hayashi, Y.Y., and W.R. Young, 1986. Stable and unstable shear modes of rotating parallel flows in shallow water. J. Fluid Mech., 184, 477-504.
• Ferrari, R., Manfroi, A., and W.R. Young, 2001. Strongly and weakly self-similar diffusion. Physica D 154, 111-137.
• Ferrari, R., and W.R. Young, 1997. On the development of thermohaline correlations as a result of nonlinear diffusive parameterizations. J. Mar. Res., 55, 1069-1101.
• Dewar, W.K., P.B. Rhines, and W.R. Young, 1984. The nonlinear spin-up of a stratified ocean. Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn., 30, 169-197.
• Dauxois, T., and W.R. Young, 1999. Near-critical reflection of internal waves. J. Fluid Mech., 390, 271-295.
• Childress, S., G.R. Ierley, E.A. Spiegel and W.R. Young, 1989. Blow-up of unsteady two-dimensional Euler and Navier-Stokes solutions having stagnation point form. J. Fluid Mech., 203, 1-22.
• Chen, L. and W.R. Young, 1995. Density compensated thermohaline gradients and diapycnal fluxes in the mixed layer. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 25, 3064-3075.
• Cessi, P., R.V. Condie, and W.R. Young, 1990. Dissipative dynamics of western boundary currents. J. Mar. Res., 48, 677-700.
• Cessi, P., G.R. Ierley, and W.R. Young, 1987. A model of the inertial recirculation driven by potential vorticity anomalies. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 17, 1640-1652.
• Cessi, P., E.A. Spiegel, and W.R. Young, 1990. Small scale excitation in large systems. In: Nonlinear Evolution of Spatio-Temporal Structures in Dissipative Continuous Systems, ed. by F.H. Busse and L. Kramer. Plenum Press, New York, pp. 231-236.
• Cessi, P., and W.R. Young, 1996. Some unexpected consequences of the inter-action between convective adjustment and horizontal diffusion. Physica D., 98, 287-300.
• Cessi, P. and W.R. Young, 1992. Multiple equilibria in two-dimensional thermohaline circulation. J. Fluid Mech., 241, 291-309.
• Cessi, P. and W.R. Young, 1992. Fixed-flux convection in a tilted slot. J. Fluid Mech. , 237, 57-71.
• Cessi P., W.R. Young and J. A. Polton 2006. Control of large-scale heat transport by small-scale mixing. J.Phys.Oceanogr., 36, 1877-1894.
• Carnevale, G.F., Y. Pomeau, and W.R. Young, 1990. Statistics of Ballistic Agglomeration. Phys. Rev. Lett., 64, 2913-2916.
• Carnevale, G.F., J.C., McWilliams, Y., Pomeau, J.B. Weiss, and W.R. Young, 1992. Rates, pathways, and end-states of nonlinear evolution in decaying two-dimensional turbulence: scaling theory vs. selective decay. Phys. Fluids A, 4, 1314-1316.
• Carnevale, G.F., J.C. McWilliams, Y. Pomeau, J.B. Weiss, and W.R. Young, 1991. Evolution of vortex statistics in two-dimensional turbulence. Phys. Rev. Lett., 66, 2735-2737.
• Broutman, D., and W.R. Young, 1986. On the interaction of small-scale oceanic internal waves with near inertial waves. J. Fluid Mech., 166, 341- 358.
• Birch, D.A., Y.-K. Tsang and W.R. Young 2007. Bounding biomass in the Fisher Equation. Phys. Rev. E 76, 041910. (Also selected to appear in the Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research 13, issue 12.)
• Birch, D.A., W.R.Young and P.J.S. Franks 2008. Plankton layer profiles as determined by shearing, sinking and swimming. Accepted by Limnology and Oceanography.
• Birch, D.A., W.R. Young and P.J.S. Franks 2008. Thin layers of plankton: Formation by shear and death by diffusion Deep Sea Res. Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 55, 2277-295.
• Birch, D.A. and W.R. Young, 2006. A master equation for a spatial population model with pair interactions. Theoretical Population Biology, 70, 26-42.
• Balmforth, N.J., S.P. Meacham, E.A. Spiegel and W.R. Young, 1992. Global equilibria of turbulent accretion disks. Annals New York Acad. Sci., 675, 53-64.
• Balmforth, N.J., S.G. Llewellyn Smith, and W.R. Young. 1998. Enhanced dispersion of near-inertial waves in an idealized geostrophic flow. J. Mar. Res., 56, 1-40.
• Balmforth, N.J., S.G. Llewellyn Smith, and W.R. Young. 1998. Dynamics of interfaces and layers in a stratified turbulent fluid. J. Fluid Mech., 355, 329-358.
• Balmforth, N.J., S.G Llewellyn-Smith and W.R. Young, 2001. Disturbing vortices. J. Fluid Mech. 426, 95-133.
• Balmforth, N.J., and W.R. Young. 1997. Long-wave instability in marginally stable shear flows. Phys. Rev. Lett., 79, 4155-4158.
• Balmforth, N.J., and W.R. Young, 1999. Radiative damping of near-inertial oscillations.J. Mar. Res., 57, 561-584.
• Balmforth, N.J., and D. del-Castillo-Negrete and W.R. Young, 1997. Dynamics of vorticity defects in shear. J. Fluid Mech., 333, 197-230.
• Balmforth, N.B., G.R.Ierley and W.R. Young, 2002. Tidal conversion by subcritical topography. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 32, 2900-2914.
• Balmforth, N.B. and W.R. Young, 2003. Diffusion limited scalar cascades. J. Fluid Mech., 482, 91-100.
• Balmforth N.J., J.W.M. Bush, D. Vener and W.R. Young 2007. Dissipative descent: rocking and rolling down an incline. J. Fluid Mech., 590, 295-318.
• Abarbanel, H.D.I., and W.R. Young, 1987. The General Circulation of the Ocean. Springer-Verlag, New York, 291 pp.
• 77. di Lorenzo, E., W.R. Young and S.G. Llewellyn Smith 2006. Numerical and analytical estimates of M2 tidal conversion at steep oceanic ridges. J.Phys.Oceanogr., 36, 1072-1084.
• 76. Petrelis, F., S.G. Llewellyn Smith and W.R. Young, 2006. Tidal conversion at a submarine ridge. J.Phys. Oceanogr., 36, 1053-1071.
• 75. Thompson, A.F. and W.R. Young 2006. Scaling baroclinic eddy flux: vortices and energy balance. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 36, 720-738.
• 65. Manfroi, A.J. and W.R. Young, 2002. Stability of beta-plane Kolmogorov flow. Physica D 162, 208-232.
• 5. Young, W.R., and P.B. Rhines, 1982. A theory of the wind-driven circulation, II-circulation models and western boundary layers. J. Mar. Res., 40, 849-872.