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Internal waves on a continental shelf

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Date Issued:
2012
Summary:
In this thesis, a 2D CHebyshev spectral domain decomposition method is developed for simulating the generation and propagation of internal waves over a topography. While the problem of stratified flow over topography is by no means a new one, many aspects of internal wave generation and breaking are still poorly understood. This thesis aims to reproduce certain observed features of internal waves by using a Chebyshev collation method in both spatial directions. The numerical model solves the inviscid, incomprehensible, fully non-linear, non-hydrostatic Boussinesq equations in the vorticity-streamfunction formulation. A number of important features of internal waves over topography are captured with the present model, including the onset of wave-breaking at sub-critical Froude numbers, up to the point of overturning of the pycnoclines. Density contours and wave spectra are presented for different combinations of Froude numbers, stratifications and topographic slope.
Title: Internal waves on a continental shelf.
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Name(s): Jagannathan, Arjun.
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Issued: 2012
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic
Extent: xii, 113 p. : ill. (some col.)
Language(s): English
Summary: In this thesis, a 2D CHebyshev spectral domain decomposition method is developed for simulating the generation and propagation of internal waves over a topography. While the problem of stratified flow over topography is by no means a new one, many aspects of internal wave generation and breaking are still poorly understood. This thesis aims to reproduce certain observed features of internal waves by using a Chebyshev collation method in both spatial directions. The numerical model solves the inviscid, incomprehensible, fully non-linear, non-hydrostatic Boussinesq equations in the vorticity-streamfunction formulation. A number of important features of internal waves over topography are captured with the present model, including the onset of wave-breaking at sub-critical Froude numbers, up to the point of overturning of the pycnoclines. Density contours and wave spectra are presented for different combinations of Froude numbers, stratifications and topographic slope.
Identifier: 829393131 (oclc), 3358549 (digitool), FADT3358549 (IID), fau:4019 (fedora)
Note(s): by Arjun Jagannathan.
Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012.
Includes bibliography.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
System requirements: Adobe Reader.
Subject(s): Engineering geology -- Mathematical models
Chebyshev polynomials
Fluid dynamics
Continuum mechanics
Spectral theory (Mathematics)
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358549
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU