Published December 2010 | Version v1
Journal article

Mechanism of Energy Transfers to Smaller Scales Within the Rotational Internal Wave Field

  • 1. University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, Department of Mathematics (United States)

Description

We discuss the effect of the earth rotation on the two-triad interaction and the oceanic energy distribution processes that occur between five coupled internal gravity waves. The system we study is a two-triad test wave system consisting of an initial wave of the tidal M2 frequency interacting with four recipient waves forming two resonant triads. It is shown that the general mechanism of an arbitrarily large number of internal wave interactions can be described by a three classes of interactions which we call the sum, middle and difference interaction classes. The four latitude singularities are distinguished for the particular case of five interacting waves and all three classes of resonant interactions are studied separately at those critical values. It is shown that the sum and difference interaction classes represent the latitude-inferior and latitude-predominant classes respectively. The phenomenon of coalescence of the middle and difference interaction classes is observed along latitude 48.25o N. It shown that at this value of latitude, the coalescence phenomenon provides the analogy between rotating and reflecting internal waves from slopes.

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Mathematical Physics, Analysis and Geometry
Journal Volume
13
Journal Issue
4
Journal Page Range
p. 331-355
ISSN
1385-0172

INIS

Country of Publication
Netherlands
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
42071908
Subject category
S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Descriptors DEI
COALESCENCE; ENERGY SPECTRA; ENERGY TRANSFER; GRAVITY WAVES; INTERACTIONS; INTERNAL WAVES; ROTATION; SINGULARITY; WAVE FORMS
Descriptors DEC
MOTION; SPECTRA

Optional Information

Copyright
Copyright (c) 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.