Global in Time Classical Solutions to the 3D Quasi-geostrophic System   for Large Initial Data
  In this paper, the authors show the existence of global in time classical solutions to the 3D quasi-geostrophic system with Ekman pumping for any smooth initial value (possibly large). This system couples an inviscid transport equation in $\mathbb{R}^3_+$ with an equation on the boundary satisfied by the trace. The proof combines the De Giorgi regularization effect on the boundary $z=0$ -similar to the so called surface quasi-geostrophic equation- with Beale-Kato-Majda techniques to propagate regularity for $z>0$. A potential theory argument is used to strengthen the regularization effect on the trace up to the Besov space $\mathring{B}_{\infty,\infty}^1$. 
Matthew D. Novack and Alexis F. Vasseur
math.AP