The full set of equations governing ocean dynamics are often simplified to a set called the quasi-geostrophic equations to retain a large element of the physics, but providing a tractable set of equations which contain principal elements of the large scale flow. This proposal will consider a two-layer version of these equations, and will combine both analytical and numerical experiments using them. Questions about the invariant properties, their stability, and their relevance to high-gradient frontal like areas will be addressed.
