Internal wave boundary layer interaction: A novel instability over broad topography

Harnanan, Sandhya; Soontiens, Nancy; Stastna, Marek

doi:10.1063/1.4906299

Cited by 28 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The localized material transport due to the flow separation is more comparable to our observations, however, the horizontal transport of near-wall material is substantial (see figure 6 b ) compared to the vertical transport of a few boundary layer widths in Harnanan et al. (2015). Harnanan et al.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Vortex generation due to internal solitary wave propagation past a sidewall constriction

et al. 2021

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Vortex generation due to internal solitary wave propagation past a sidewall constriction

et al. 2021

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“…Theoretical work also suggests that there is likely to be significant exchange between the bottom boundary layer and the main water column (cf. Harnanan et al, 2015).…”

Section: Figure 8 Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observations of nonlinear internal waves at a persistent coastal upwelling front

Walter

Stastna

Woodson

et al. 2016

Continental Shelf Research

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We collected high-resolution observations of nonlinear internal waves (NLIWs) at a persistent upwelling front in the shallow coastal environment (~20 m) of northern Monterey Bay, CA. The coastal upwelling front forms between recently upwelled waters and warmer stratified waters that are trapped in the bay (upwelling shadow). The front propagates up and down the coast in the along-shore direction as a buoyant plume front due to modulation by strong diurnal wind forcing. The evolution of the coastal upwelling front, and the subsequent modulation of background environmental conditions, is examined using both individual events and composite day averages. We demonstrate that regional-scale upwelling and local diurnal wind forcing are key components controlling local stratification and the formation of internal wave guides that allow for high-frequency internal wave activity. Finally, we discuss the ability of theoretical models to describe particularly large-amplitude internal waves that exist in the presence of a strong background shear and test a fully nonlinear model (i.e., the Dubreil-Jacotin-Long equation).

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“…In the second paper where the results are extended to both waves of depression and elevation, quantitative measurement of energy loss of due to wave-bottom topography interaction is calculated for different regimes. For smooth topography with much more gentle slopes, Harnanan et al (2015) performed three-dimensional simulations and showed that there exist two qualitatively different modes of instability. The first is a separation instability, which leads to strong, localized vortex roll-up.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical simulations of shoaling internal solitary waves of elevation

Subich

Stastna

2016

Physics of Fluids

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We present high-resolution, two-and three-dimensional direct numerical simulations of laboratory-scale, fully nonlinear internal solitary waves of elevation shoaling onto and over a small-amplitude shelf. The three-dimensional, mapped coordinate, spectral collocation method used for the simulations allows for accurate modelling of both the shoaling waves and the bottom boundary layer. We focus on wave-induced instabilities during the shoaling and de-shoaling processes. The shoaling of the waves is characterized by the formation of a quasi-trapped core which undergoes a spatially growing stratified shear instability at its edge and a lobe-cleft instability in its nose. Both of these instabilities develop and three-dimensionalize concurrently, leading to strong bottom shear stress. During the deshoaling process, the core breaks up and ejects fluid that forms a vortex-rich region near the down-sloping portion of the shelf. The flow in this region is highly turbulent and the bottom shear stress is extremely strong. Experiments with a corrugated bottom boundary are also performed. Boundary layer separation is found inside each of the corrugations during the wave's shoaling process. Our analyses suggest that all of these wave-induced instabilities can lead to enhanced turbulence in the water column and increased shear stress on the bottom boundary. Through the generation and evolution of these instabilities, the shoaling and de-shoaling cycles of internal solitary waves of elevation are likely to provide systematic mechanisms for material mixing and sediment resuspension. These mechanisms have significant environmental implications on the near-coastal regions of the world's oceans.iii

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Internal wave boundary layer interaction: A novel instability over broad topography

Cited by 28 publications

References 33 publications

Vortex generation due to internal solitary wave propagation past a sidewall constriction

Vortex generation due to internal solitary wave propagation past a sidewall constriction

Observations of nonlinear internal waves at a persistent coastal upwelling front

Numerical simulations of shoaling internal solitary waves of elevation

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