Examining Breaking Internal Waves on a Shelf Slope Using Numerical Simulations

The subject of internal waves interacting with bottom topographic features in the ocean has received much attention in the past few decades. This heightened interest is mainly due to a conjecture that breaking internal waves at boundaries can be a significant source of turbulence, leading to mixing...

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Main Authors: Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy, Oliver B. Fringer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Oceanography Society 2012-06-01
Series:Oceanography
Subjects:
Online Access:http://tos.org/oceanography/archive/25-2_venaya.pdf
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spelling doaj-fb7ebc9c6f6e41749bec70782a9b431c2020-11-25T01:25:29ZengThe Oceanography SocietyOceanography1042-82752012-06-01252132139Examining Breaking Internal Waves on a Shelf Slope Using Numerical SimulationsSubhas K. VenayagamoorthyOliver B. FringerThe subject of internal waves interacting with bottom topographic features in the ocean has received much attention in the past few decades. This heightened interest is mainly due to a conjecture that breaking internal waves at boundaries can be a significant source of turbulence, leading to mixing and transport in the ocean. In this paper, we present results from high-resolution three-dimensional numerical simulations of an internal wave interacting with a shelf break in a linearly stratified fluid in order to highlight the instabilities that contribute to wave breaking over topography. The results show the development of a nonlinear internal bolus (a vortex core of dense fluid) that moves upslope as a result of the interaction and subsequent breaking of the internal wave. We present details of the different stages of the interaction process that lead to wave breakdown and formation of internal boluses and their subsequent evolution toward smaller scales of motion and turbulence as they propagate onshore. http://tos.org/oceanography/archive/25-2_venaya.pdfinternal wavesbreaking internal wavesnonlinear internal bolus
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy
Oliver B. Fringer
spellingShingle Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy
Oliver B. Fringer
Examining Breaking Internal Waves on a Shelf Slope Using Numerical Simulations
Oceanography
internal waves
breaking internal waves
nonlinear internal bolus
author_facet Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy
Oliver B. Fringer
author_sort Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy
title Examining Breaking Internal Waves on a Shelf Slope Using Numerical Simulations
title_short Examining Breaking Internal Waves on a Shelf Slope Using Numerical Simulations
title_full Examining Breaking Internal Waves on a Shelf Slope Using Numerical Simulations
title_fullStr Examining Breaking Internal Waves on a Shelf Slope Using Numerical Simulations
title_full_unstemmed Examining Breaking Internal Waves on a Shelf Slope Using Numerical Simulations
title_sort examining breaking internal waves on a shelf slope using numerical simulations
publisher The Oceanography Society
series Oceanography
issn 1042-8275
publishDate 2012-06-01
description The subject of internal waves interacting with bottom topographic features in the ocean has received much attention in the past few decades. This heightened interest is mainly due to a conjecture that breaking internal waves at boundaries can be a significant source of turbulence, leading to mixing and transport in the ocean. In this paper, we present results from high-resolution three-dimensional numerical simulations of an internal wave interacting with a shelf break in a linearly stratified fluid in order to highlight the instabilities that contribute to wave breaking over topography. The results show the development of a nonlinear internal bolus (a vortex core of dense fluid) that moves upslope as a result of the interaction and subsequent breaking of the internal wave. We present details of the different stages of the interaction process that lead to wave breakdown and formation of internal boluses and their subsequent evolution toward smaller scales of motion and turbulence as they propagate onshore.
topic internal waves
breaking internal waves
nonlinear internal bolus
url http://tos.org/oceanography/archive/25-2_venaya.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT subhaskvenayagamoorthy examiningbreakinginternalwavesonashelfslopeusingnumericalsimulations
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