HR: 14:30h
AN: OS52K-03    [PDF]
TI: The Cnoidal/Corner Wave/Breaking Scenario for Equatorial Kelvin Waves
AU: * Boyd, J P
EM: jpboyd@umich.edu
AF: University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 United States
AB: Theoretical and numerical evidence shows that the equatorial Kelvin wave exhibits three regimes in the presence of mean zonal currents. For small amplitude, there are Kelvin cnoidal waves and solitons of KdV type. For large amplitude, the Kelvin wave breaks in the sense that the inviscid wave develops an infinite slope in a finite time. The limiting wave between these two regimes is a travelling wave with a discontinuous slope, a so-called "corner wave". The implications for tropical oceanography and speculations on post-breaking behavior are also discussed.
DE: 4522 El Ni¤o
DE: 4544 Internal and inertial waves
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2004 Ocean Sciences Meeting