The Effect of a Variable Background Density Stratification and Current on Oceanic Internal Solitary Waves

Large amplitude, horizontally propagating internal waves are commonly observed in the coastal ocean. They are often modelled by a variable-coefficient Korteweg–de Vries equation to take account of a horizontally varying background state. Although this equation is now well-known, a term representing...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zihua Liu, Roger Grimshaw, Edward Johnson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018-11-01
Series:Fluids
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/3/4/96
Description
Summary:Large amplitude, horizontally propagating internal waves are commonly observed in the coastal ocean. They are often modelled by a variable-coefficient Korteweg–de Vries equation to take account of a horizontally varying background state. Although this equation is now well-known, a term representing non-conservative effects, arising from horizontal variation in the underlying basic state density stratification and current, has often been omitted. In this paper, we examine the possible significance of this term using climatological data for several typical oceanic sites where internal waves have been observed.
ISSN:2311-5521