HR: 0800h
AN: OS11A-0498    [Abstracts]
TI: Generation and Evolution of Solibores on Slopes
AU: * Venayagamoorthy, S K
EM: vskaran@stanford.edu
AF: Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4020 United States
AU: Fringer, O B
EM: fringer@stanford.edu
AF: Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4020 United States
AB: The present study focuses on understanding the generation and propagation of solibores formed as a result of the interaction of a nonlinear first-mode internal wave field with a sloped coastal shelf break, using high-resolution two-dimensional numerical simulations. Our study shows the development of a nonlinear bolus that moves upslope as a result of the interaction and breaking of the baroclinic wave with the slope, consistent with earlier numerical results by others (Slinn & Riley 1998a, 1998b, Legg & Adcroft 2003). These solibores that propagate onto the shelf have large onshore velocities contained within their cores indicating that there is sufficiently high shear in these solibores that might create shear instability. The minimum Richardson number at the interface of these solibores is less than the critical value of 0.25 for much of the interface at the leading edges of these solibores, indicating the high probability for shedding of heavy fluid via shear instability. Enhanced dissipation rates are noted at these leading edges. An analysis of the mass exchange between the solibores and the surrounding fluid indicates that the bores can shed a significant fraction of their initial mass as they propagate shoreward, highlighting their importance in diapycnal mixing and mass transport. The results may support ongoing efforts in the oceanographic community to understand the small-scale dynamics associated with these highly nonlinear internal waves.
DE: 4546 Nearshore processes
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting