Effect of Background Shear on Internal Wave Characteristics in a Data-Driven Model
Nonlinear internal waves are a well-established feature of the coastal ocean. Internal
wave theory is a mature field, with linear, weakly nonlinear, and fully nonlinear
mathematical descriptions available. Although the majority of theoretical and numerical
studies have focused on idealized cases, recent research has begun to explore how
that theory can be applied in the context of realistic environments inspired by specific
observational data sets. The present work pursues such observation-driven modeling
of nonlinear internal waves. In this work, we consider observations of nonlinear internal
waves in the presence of background shear in a shallow coastal environment. The
Dubreil-Jacotin-Long equation gives a fully nonlinear description of internal waves in the
presence of a background shear flow. This research seeks to explain the ability of the
fully nonlinear model to describe the field observations with a strong background shear
current, answering important questions about the proper definition of a background
state, as well as the contribution of the wave-induced velocity to vertical shear and
water-column stability.
This is joint work with Ryan Walters in the Physics Department. Students interested in
studying interdisciplinary dynamical systems, with some computational background, are
encouraged to apply. No prior knowledge of fluid dynamics is necessary.