Alongslope current generated by obliquely incident internal gravity waves

A simple laboratory experiment in stratified salt water demonstrates that an obliquely incident internal gravity wave generates a mean horizontal current when approaching a sloping boundary from above. The alongslope current is in the same direction as the transverse component of wave propagation an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 1998-10, Vol.25 (20), p.3871-3874
Main Authors: Dunkerton, Timothy J., Delisi, Donald P., Lelong, M.-Pascale
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Marine
Other topics
Physics of the oceans
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Summary:A simple laboratory experiment in stratified salt water demonstrates that an obliquely incident internal gravity wave generates a mean horizontal current when approaching a sloping boundary from above. The alongslope current is in the same direction as the transverse component of wave propagation and coexists with a turbulent bore propagating diagonally up and along the slope. Mean‐flow generation is observed for vertical angles of incidence above and below the critical angle as well as for steeper angles in which the viscous dissipation of waves is smaller initially.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/1998GL900031