The primitive equations as the small aspect ratio limit of the Navier-Stokes equations: rigorous justification of the hydrostatic approximation

Abstract An important feature of the planetary oceanic dynamics is that the aspect ratio (the ratio of the depth to horizontal width) is very small. As a result, the hydrostatic approximation (balance), derived by performing the formal small aspect ratio limit to the Navier–Stokes equations, is considered as a fundamental component in the primitive equations of the large-scale ocean. In this paper, we justify rigorously the small aspect ratio limit of the Navier–Stokes equations to the primitive equations. Specifically, we prove that the Navier–Stokes equations, after being scaled appropriately by the small aspect ratio parameter of the physical domain, converge strongly to the primitive equations, globally and uniformly in time, and the convergence rate is of the same order as the aspect ratio parameter. This result validates the hydrostatic approximation for the large-scale oceanic dynamics. Notably, only the weak convergence of this small aspect ratio limit was rigorously justified before.