scholarly journals Turbulence closure: turbulence, waves and the wave-turbulence transition – Part 1: Vanishing mean shear

Ocean Science ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Z. Baumert ◽  
H. Peters
Keyword(s):  
Internal Wave ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Turbulence Closure ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Wave Turbulence ◽  
Turbulent Length Scale ◽  
Turbulent Dissipation ◽  
New Model ◽  
Turbulence Transition

Abstract. This paper extends a turbulence closure-like model for stably stratified flows into a new dynamic domain in which turbulence is generated by internal gravity waves rather than mean shear. The model turbulent kinetic energy (TKE, K) balance, its first equation, incorporates a term for the energy transfer from internal waves to turbulence. This energy source is in addition to the traditional shear production. The second variable of the new two-equation model is the turbulent enstrophy (Ω). Compared to the traditional shear-only case, the Ω-equation is modified to account for the effect of the waves on the turbulence time and space scales. This modification is based on the assumption of a non-zero constant flux Richardson number in the limit of vanishing mean shear when turbulence is produced exclusively by internal waves. This paper is part 1 of a continuing theoretical development. It accounts for mean shear- and internal wave-driven mixing only in the two limits of mean shear and no waves and waves but no mean shear, respectively. The new model reproduces the wave-turbulence transition analyzed by D'Asaro and Lien (2000b). At small energy density E of the internal wave field, the turbulent dissipation rate (ε) scales like ε~E2. This is what is observed in the deep sea. With increasing E, after the wave-turbulence transition has been passed, the scaling changes to ε~E1. This is observed, for example, in the highly energetic tidal flow near a sill in Knight Inlet. The new model further exhibits a turbulent length scale proportional to the Ozmidov scale, as observed in the ocean, and predicts the ratio between the turbulent Thorpe and Ozmidov length scales well within the range observed in the ocean.

scholarly journals Turbulence closure: turbulence, waves and the wave-turbulence transition – Part 1: Vanishing mean shear

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 545-580
Author(s):  
H. Z. Baumert ◽  
H. Peters
Keyword(s):  
Internal Wave ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Tidal Flow ◽  
Wave Turbulence ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Turbulent Length Scale ◽  
Turbulent Dissipation ◽  
New Model ◽  
Turbulence Transition ◽  
Ozmidov Scale

Abstract. A new two-equation, closure-like turbulence model for stably stratified flows is introduced which uses the turbulent kinetic energy (K) and the turbulent enstrophy (Ω) as primary variables. It accounts for mean shear – and internal wave-driven mixing in the two limits of mean shear and no waves and waves but no mean shear, respectively. The traditional TKE balance is augmented by an explicit energy transfer from internal waves to turbulence. A modification of the Ω-equation accounts for the effect of the waves on the turbulence time and space scales. The latter is based on the assumption of a non-zero constant flux Richardson number in the limit of vanishing mean-flow shear when turbulence is produced exclusively by internal waves. The new model reproduces the wave-turbulence transition analyzed by D'Asaro and Lien (2000). At small energy density E of the internal wave field, the turbulent dissipation rate (ε) scales like ε~E2. This is what is observed in the deep sea. With increasing E, after the wave-turbulence transition has been passed, the scaling changes to ε~E1. This is observed, for example, in the swift tidal flow near a sill in Knight Inlet. The new model further exhibits a turbulent length scale proportional to the Ozmidov scale, as observed in the ocean, and predicts the ratio between the turbulent Thorpe and Ozmidov length scales well within the range observed in the ocean.

A conservation law for internal gravity waves

1976 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Milder
Keyword(s):  
Internal Wave ◽  
Group Velocity ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Conservation Law ◽  
Short Wavelength ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Volume Integral ◽  
Weak Density ◽  
Progressive Waves

The scaled vorticity Ω/N and strain ∇ ζ associated with internal waves in a weak density gradient of arbitrary depth dependence together comprise a quantity that is conserved in the usual linearized approximation. This quantity I is the volume integral of the dimensionless density DI = ½[Ω2/N2 + (∇ ζ)2]. For progressive waves the ‘kinetic’ and ‘potential’ parts are equal, and in the short-wavelength limit the density DI and flux FI are related by the ordinary group velocity: FI = DIcg. The properties of DI suggest that it may be a useful measure of local internal-wave saturation.

scholarly journals Interaction Features of Internal Wave Breathers in a Stratified Ocean

Fluids ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 205
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Didenkulova ◽  
Efim Pelinovsky
Keyword(s):  
Internal Wave ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Fourth Order ◽  
Numerical Experiments ◽  
Vries Equation ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Wave Fields ◽  
Tidal Waves ◽  
Stratified Ocean

Oscillating wave packets (breathers) are a significant part of the dynamics of internal gravity waves in a stratified ocean. The formation of these waves can be provoked, in particular, by the decay of long internal tidal waves. Breather interactions can significantly change the dynamics of the wave fields. In the present study, a series of numerical experiments on the interaction of breathers in the frameworks of the etalon equation of internal waves—the modified Korteweg–de Vries equation (mKdV)—were conducted. Wave field extrema, spectra, and statistical moments up to the fourth order were calculated.

Internal wave excitation from stratified flow over a thin barrier

1998 ◽  
Vol 377 ◽  
pp. 223-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
BRUCE R. SUTHERLAND ◽  
PAUL F. LINDEN
Keyword(s):  
Internal Wave ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Wavelet Transforms ◽  
Large Amplitude ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Wave Excitation ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Propagating Waves ◽  
The Waves

We perform laboratory experiments in a recirculating shear flow tank of non-uniform salt-stratified water to examine the excitation of internal gravity waves (IGW) in the wake of a tall, thin vertical barrier. The purpose of this study is to characterize and quantify the coupling between coherent structures shed in the wake and internal waves that radiate from the mixing region into the deep, stationary fluid. In agreement with numerical simulations, large-amplitude internal waves are generated when the mixing region is weakly stratified and the deep fluid is sufficiently strongly stratified. If the mixing region is unstratified, weak but continuous internal wave excitation occurs. In all cases, the tilt of the phase lines of propagating waves lies within a narrow range. Assuming the waves are spanwise uniform, their amplitude in space and time is measured non-intrusively using a recently developed ‘synthetic schlieren’ technique. Using wavelet transforms to measure consistently the width and duration of the observed wavepackets, the Reynolds stress is measured and, in particular, we estimate that when large-amplitude internal wave excitation occurs, approximately 7% of the average momentum across the shear depth and over the extent of the wavepacket is lost due to transport away from the mixing region by the waves.We propose that internal waves may act back upon the mean flow modifying it so that the excitation of waves of that frequency is enhanced. A narrow frequency spectrum of large-amplitude waves is observed because the feedback is largest for waves with phase tilt in a range near 45°. Numerical simulations and analytic theories are presented to further quantify this theory.

Models of energy loss from internal waves breaking in the ocean

2017 ◽  
Vol 836 ◽  
pp. 72-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Thorpe
Keyword(s):  
Exact Solution ◽  
Internal Wave ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Wave Breaking ◽  
Convective Instability ◽  
Helmholtz Instability ◽  
Turbulent Dissipation ◽  
The Waves ◽  
Data Representative ◽  
Made In

The supply of energy to the internal wave field in the ocean is, in total, sufficient to support the mixing required to maintain the stratification of the ocean, but can the required rates of turbulent dissipation in mid-water be sustained by breaking internal waves? It is assumed that turbulence occurs in regions where the field of motion can be represented by an exact solution of the equations that describe waves propagating through a uniformly stratified fluid and becoming unstable. Two instabilities leading to wave breaking are examined, convective instability and shear-induced Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. Models are constrained by data representative of the mid-water ocean. Calculations of turbulent dissipation are first made on the assumption that all the waves representing local breaking have the same steepness, $s$, and frequency, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}$. For some ranges of $s$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}$, breaking can support the required transfer of energy to turbulence. For convective instability this proves possible for sufficiently large $s$, typically exceeding 2.0, over a range of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}$, while for shear-induced instability near-inertial waves are required. Relaxation of the constraint that the model waves all have the same $s$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}$ requires new assumptions about the nature and consequences of wave breaking. Examples predict an overall dissipation consistent with the observed rates. Further observations are, however, required to test the validity of the assumptions made in the models and, in particular, to determine the nature and frequency of internal wave breaking in the mid-water ocean.

Coupling of surface and internal gravity waves: a mode coupling model

1976 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth M. Watson ◽  
Bruce J. West ◽  
Bruce I. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Energy Transfer ◽  
Surface Wave ◽  
Internal Wave ◽  
Surface Waves ◽  
Wave Field ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Wave Spectrum ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Growth Time

A surface-wave/internal-wave mode coupled model is constructed to describe the energy transfer from a linear surface wave field on the ocean to a linear internal wave field. Expressed in terms of action-angle variables the dynamic equations have a particularly useful form and are solved both numerically and in some analytic approximations. The growth time for internal waves generated by the resonant interaction of surface waves is calculated for an equilibrium spectrum of surface waves and for both the Garrett-Munk and two-layer models of the undersea environment. We find energy transfer rates as a function of undersea parameters which are much faster than those based on the constant Brunt-ViiisSila model used by Kenyon (1968) and which are consistent with the experiments of Joyce (1974). The modulation of the surface-wave spectrum by internal waves is also calculated, yielding a ‘mottled’ appearance of the ocean surface similar to that observed in photographs taken from an ERTS1 satellite (Ape1 et al. 1975b).

scholarly journals Sensitivity of internal wave energy distribution over seabed corrugations to adjacent seabed features

2017 ◽  
Vol 824 ◽  
pp. 74-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farid Karimpour ◽  
Ahmad Zareei ◽  
Joël Tchoufag ◽  
Mohammad-Reza Alam
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Energy Distribution ◽  
Internal Wave ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Bragg Reflection ◽  
Vertical Wall ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Destructive Interference ◽  
Complete Disappearance ◽  
Reflected Waves

Here we show that the distribution of energy of internal gravity waves over a patch of seabed corrugations strongly depends on the distance of the patch to adjacent seafloor features located downstream of the patch. Specifically, we consider the steady state energy distribution due to an incident internal wave arriving at a patch of seabed ripples neighbouring (i) another patch of ripples (i.e. a second patch) and (ii) a vertical wall. Seabed undulations with dominant wavenumber twice as large as overpassing internal waves reflect back part of the energy of the incident internal waves (Bragg reflection) and allow the rest of the energy to transmit downstream. In the presence of a neighbouring topography on the downstream side, the transmitted energy from the patch may reflect back; partially if the downstream topography is another set of seabed ripples or fully if it is a vertical wall. The reflected wave from the downstream topography is again reflected back by the patch of ripples through the same mechanism. This consecutive reflection goes on indefinitely, leading to a complex interaction pattern including constructive and destructive interference of multiply reflected waves as well as an interplay between higher mode internal waves resonated over the topography. We show here that when steady state is reached both the qualitative and quantitative behaviour of the energy distribution over the patch is a strong function of the distance between the patch and the downstream topography: it can increase or decrease exponentially fast along the patch or stay (nearly) unchanged. As a result, for instance, the local energy density in the water column can become an order of magnitude larger in certain areas merely based on where the downstream topography is. This may result in the formation of steep waves in specific areas of the ocean, leading to breaking and enhanced mixing. At a particular distance, the wall or the second patch may also result in a complete disappearance of the trace of the seabed undulations on the upstream and the downstream wave field.

Experimental internal gravity wave turbulence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Géraldine Davis ◽  
Thierry Dauxois ◽  
Sylvain Joubaud ◽  
Timothée Jamin ◽  
Nicolas Mordant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internal Wave ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Internal Gravity Wave ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Wave Turbulence ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Weakly Nonlinear ◽  
Resonant Interactions ◽  
Set Up

<p>Stratified fluids may develop simultaneously turbulence and internal wave turbulence, the latter describing a set of a large number of dispersive and weakly nonlinear interacting waves. The description and understanding of this regime for internal gravity waves (IGW) is really an open subject, in particular due to their very unusual dispersion relation. In this presentation, I will show experimental signatures of a large set of weakly interacting IGW obtained in a 2D trapezoidal tank.</p><p>Due to the peculiar linear reflexion law of IGW on inclined slopes, this setup - for given excitation frequencies - focuses all the input energy on a closed loop called attractor. If the forcing is large enough, this attractor destabilizes and the system eventually achieves a nonlinear cascade in frequencies and wavevectors via triadic resonant interactions, which results at large forcing amplitudes in a k^-3 spatial energy spectrum. I will also show some results obtained in a much larger set-up -the Coriolis facility in Grenoble- with signature of 3D internal wave turbulence.</p>

An analogy between electromagnetic and internal waves

2019 ◽  
Vol 485 (4) ◽  
pp. 428-433
Author(s):  
V. G. Baydulov ◽  
P. A. Lesovskiy
Keyword(s):  
Angular Momentum ◽  
Conservation Laws ◽  
Internal Wave ◽  
Special Relativity ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Maxwell Equations ◽  
Wave Equations ◽  
Lagrange Function ◽  
Lorentz Transformations ◽  
Symmetry Transformations

For the symmetry group of internal-wave equations, the mechanical content of invariants and symmetry transformations is determined. The performed comparison makes it possible to construct expressions for analogs of momentum, angular momentum, energy, Lorentz transformations, and other characteristics of special relativity and electro-dynamics. The expressions for the Lagrange function are defined, and the conservation laws are derived. An analogy is drawn both in the case of the absence of sources and currents in the Maxwell equations and in their presence.

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