Experimental study of upstream influence in the two‐dimensional flow of a stratified fluid over an obstacle†

An experimental investigation was made of the upstream influence in front of two‐dimensional obstacles when they were towed in a linearly stratified fluid. The experiments were performed in a plexiglas channel 30.5 feet long, 2 feet high and 14 inches wide filled with a linearly stratified salt solution. Velocity measurements and flow visualization were obtained by neutrally buoyant liquid droplets and dye lines. Density measurements were made by a salinity probe.

The existence of unattenuated upstream influence in front of an obstacle was quantitatively documented for the first time. It occurred in the form of multiple unattenuated horizontal jets when there was a separated open wake behind the obstacle. These jets were identified to be the super‐position of “columnar disturbance modes”. The total number of columnar modes was determined solely by the Froude number of the flow and was equal to the number of lee‐wave modes excited. The drag due to upstream columnar modes was estimated and found to be lower than the drag due to the lee wave modes:     

On the influence of the horizontal component of the earth's rotation on long period waves

Abstract

A general linearized wave equation for a stratified rotating fluid is derived and applied to obtain a dispersion relation for waves of short latitudinal extent in a thin shell of fluid. Long period wave solutions in three ocean models are compared: (1) for a stratified ocean with both components of the rotation vector; (2) for a stratified ocean without the horizontal component of rotation, and finally, (3) for a homogeneous ocean without horizontal rotation. The inclusion of the horizontal component of the Earth's rotation is found to have no noticeable effect on the dispersion relation of long period waves; its only influence is the introduction of a vertical phase shift in the motions. The origin of this phase shift is found in the tendency of the motions to satisfy the Taylor-Proudman theorem. The phase shift is of possible oceanographic relevance only for bottom-trapped buoyancy waves in a relatively weak stratification. The differences between the three ocean models are also discussed with the help of graphs of the numerically integrated dispersion relations. The relative influences of shell thinness and stratification in inhibiting the influence of the horizontal component of the earth's rotation are also briefly discussed.     

On the inadequacies of Long's model for steady two-dimensional stratified flows

Nonlinear analysis of two-dimensional steady flows with density stratification in the presence of gravity is considered. Inadequacies of Long's model for steady stratified flow over topography are explored. These include occurrence of closed streamline regions and waves propagating upstream. The usual requirements in Long's model of constant dynamic pressure and constant vertical density gradient in the upstream condition are believed to be the cause of these inadequacies. In this article, we consider a relaxation of these requirements, and also provide a systematic framework to accomplish this. As illustrations of this generalized formulation, exact solutions are given for the following two special flow configurations: the stratified flow over a barrier in an infinite channel; the stratified flow due to a line sink in an infinite channel. These solutions exhibit again closed-streamline regions as well as waves propagating upstream. The persistence of these inadequacies in the generalized Long's model appears to indicate that they are not quite consequences of the assumptions of constant dynamic pressure and constant vertical density gradient in Long's model, contrary to previous belief.

On the other hand, solutions admitted by the generalized Long's model show that departures from Long's model become small as the flow becomes more and more supercritical. They provide a nonlinear mechanism for the generation of columnar disturbances upstream of the obstacle and lead in subcritical flows to qualitatively different streamline topological patterns involving saddle points, which may describe the lee-wave-breaking process in subcritical flows and could serve as seats of turbulence in real flows. The occurrences of upstream disturbances in the presence of lee-wave-breaking activity described by the present solution are in accord with the experiments of Long (Long, R.R., “Some aspects of the flow of stratified fluids, Part 3. Continuous density gradients”, Tellus 7, 341--357 (1955)) and Davis (Davis, R.E., “The two-dimensional flow of a stratified fluid over an obstacle”, J. Fluid Mech. 36, 127–143 ()).     

Comment on rotating hydraulics

Abstract

Numerical solutions of the axisymmetric flows during the relatively early phase of spin-up from rest of a stratified fluid in a cylinder are presented. Detailed results are given for a cylinder of aspect ratio of O(l) and for a minute Ekman number, showing axisymmetric spin-up for three values of the stratification parameter. As the stratification increases, the meridional circulation is confined to a region closer to the Ekman layers. An axisymmetric shear wave propagates radially inward from the sidewall, but, unlike the strictly vertical front for a homogeneous fluid, the interface which separates rotating from nonrotating fluid is bow-shaped. For a stratified fluid, the axial vorticity distribution is nonuniform both in the vertical and in the radial directions. With increasing stratification, diffusive vorticity production near the sidewall is more pronounced. Axisymmetric flows in the early phase of spin-up of a stratified fluid are controlled by both the inviscid dynamic effect and the viscous diffusion effect. At a location close to the Ekman layers, the inviscid effect outweighs the viscous effect, in much the same way as in a homogeneous fluid. However, at a location close to mid-depth, the viscous diffusion effect, enhanced by substantial flow gradients in that region, is dominant. This points to the necessity of including the direct effect of viscous diffusion in the interior in formulating an analytical model of stratified spin-up problems.     

Baroclinic,Kelvin and inertia-gravity waves in the barostrat instability experiment

The differentially heated rotating annulus is a laboratory experiment historically designed for modelling large-scale features of the mid-latitude atmosphere. In the present study, we investigate a modified version of the classic baroclinic experiment in which a juxtaposition of convective and motionless stratified layers is created by introducing a vertical salt stratification. The thermal convective motions are suppressed in a central region at mid-depth of the rotating tank, therefore double-diffusive convection rolls can develop only in thin layers located at top and bottom, where the salt stratification is weakest. For high enough rotation rates, the baroclinic instability destabilises the flow in the top and the bottom shallow convective layers, generating cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies separated by the stable stratified layer. Thanks to this alternation of layers resembling the convective and radiative layers of stars, the planetary’s atmospheric troposphere and stratosphere or turbulent layers at the sea surface above stratified waters, this new laboratory setup is of interest for both astrophysics and geophysical sciences. More specifically, it allows to study the exchange of momentum and energy between the layers, primarily by the propagation of internal gravity waves (IGW). PIV velocity maps are used to describe the wavy flow pattern at different heights. Using a co-rotating laser and camera, the wave field is well resolved and different wave types can be found: baroclinic waves, Kelvin and Poincaré type waves. The signature of small-scale IGW can also be observed attached to the baroclinic jet. The baroclinic waves occur at the thin convectively active layer at the surface and the bottom of the tank, though decoupled they show different manifestation of nonlinear interactions. The inertial Kelvin and Poincaré waves seem to be mechanically forced. The small-scale wave trains attached to the meandering jet point to an imbalance of the large-scale flow. For the first time, the simultaneous occurrence of different wave types is reported in detail for a differentially heated rotating annulus experiment.     

Turning surface behaviour for internal waves subject to general gravitational fields

Abstract

It is shown that the turning surfaces associated with internal waves in a uniformly rotating, density stratified, Boussinesq fluid in the presence of an arbitrary gravitational field are regular points for the governing eigenvalue differential equation. The results are illustrated for two particular examples that have geophysical and astrophysical significance, namely radially directed spherical gravity, and the gravitational field in a rapidly rotating cylinder.     

Can zonally symmetric inertial waves drive an oscillating zonal mean flow?

In the present paper zonal mean flow excitation by inertial waves is studied in analogy to mean flow excitation by gravity waves that plays an important role for the quasi-biennial oscillation in the equatorial atmosphere. In geophysical flows that are stratified and rotating, pure gravity and inertial waves correspond to the two limiting cases: gravity waves neglect rotation, inertial waves neglect stratification. The former are more relevant for fluids like the atmosphere, where stratification is dominant, the latter for the deep oceans or planet cores, where rotation dominates. In the present study a hierarchy of simple analytical and numerical models of zonally symmetric inertial wave-mean flow interactions is considered and the results are compared with data from a laboratory experiment. The main findings can be summarised as follows: (i) when the waves are decoupled from the mean flow they just drive a retrograde (eastward) zonal mean flow, independent of the sign of the meridional phase speed; (ii) when coupling is present and the zonal mean flow is assumed to be steady, the waves can drive vertically alternating jets, but still, in contrast to the gravity wave case, the structure is independent of the sign of the meridional phase speed; (iii) when coupling is present and time-dependent zonal mean flows are considered the waves can drive vertically and temporarily oscillating mean flows. The comparison with laboratory data from a rotating annulus experiment shows a qualitative agreement. It appears that the experiment captures the basic elements of the inertial wave mean flow coupling. The results might be relevant to understand how the Equatorial Deep Jets can be maintained against dissipation, a process currently discussed controversially.     

The effects of vertical shear and stratification on stationary rossby waves

Abstract

The generation of stationary Rossby waves by sources of potential vorticity in a westerly flow is examined here in the context of a two-layer, quasi-geostrophic, β-plane model. The response in each layer consists of a combination of a barotropic Rossby wave disturbance that extends far downstream of the source, and a baroclinic disturbance which is evanescent or wave-like in character, depending on the shear and degree of stratification. Contributions from each of these modes in each layer are strongly dependent on the basic flows in each layer; the degree of stratification; and the depths of the two layers. The lower layer response is dominated by an evanescent baroclinic mode when the upper layer westerlies are much larger than those in the lower layer. In this case, weak stationary Rossby waves of large wavelengths are confined to the upper layer and the disturbance in the lower layer is confined to the source region.

Increasing the upper layer flow (with the lower layer flow fixed) increases the Rossby wavelength and decreases the amplitude. Decreasing the lower layer flow (with the upper layer flow fixed) decreases the wavelength and increases the amplitude. Stratification increases the contribution from the barotropic wave-like mode and causes the response to be confined to the lower layer.

The finite amplitude response to westerly flow over two sources of potential vorticity is also considered. In this case stationary Rossby waves induced by both sources interact to reinforce or diminish the downstream wave pattern depending on the separation distance of the sources relative to the Rossby wavelength. For fixed separation distance, enhancement of the downstreatm Rossby waves will only occur for a narrow range of flow variables and stratification.     

Effects of dissipation on internal waves in a contained rotating stratified fluid

Abstract

Boundary layer techniques are used to examine the modifications due to dissipation in the normal modes of a uniformly rotating, density stratified, Boussinesq fluid in a rigid container. Arbitrary relative influence of rotation and stratification is considered. The existence of critical regions of the container boundary is discussed. In cylindrical geometry a formula is derived for the decay factor on the homogeneous “spin-up” time scale which reveals how the dominant dissipation varies as a function of several parameters. For the situation where the buoyancy and inertial frequency are exactly equal, all boundaries are everywhere critical. In this case the method of multiple time-scales is employed to investigate the confluence inertial-gravity mode which is shown to persist until the diffusive time-scale is achieved.     

An experimental study of forced barotropic rossby waves

Abstract

Barotropic Rossby waves are studied in a homogeneous fluid contained in a rotating cylindrical annulus with a radially sloping bottom boundary. The waves are forced by a simple source-sink distribution which can be rotated differentially relative to the annulus. When the speed of the source-sink distribution is close to the phase speed for a free Rossby wave of a given mode, resonant amplification occurs. The experimental results are in qualitative agreement with the predictions of a simple linear theory, but certain systematic differences between theory and experiment were observed.     

Characteristics of disturbances in the atmosphere and oceans

The characteristics of the disturbances in the atmosphere and oceans and in other stably stratified and rotating fluids are analyzed according to their phase and group velocities. It is shown that both stable stratification and rotation augment the velocity of the sound waves, and that the internal gravity waves and inertial waves are mutually exclusive when the Brunt-Väisälä frequency is different from the Coriolis parameter. It is also shown that both the barotropic and the internal Rossby waves are well separated from the gravity waves and that they can be represented accurately by the quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity equation, even close to the equator, except for the one member withn=0 which is coupled with an eastward propagating gravity wave.     

Convection in a rotating,laterally heated annulus pattern velocities and amplitude oscillations

Abstract

The velocities of the wave patterns relative to the rotating annulus have been measured with either increasing or decreasing positive radial temperature gradients and different rotation rates, with the fluid in thermal equilibrium and in contact with a rigid lid. The pattern velocities are dependent on initial conditions except in the unique areas of the stability diagram, where the velocities observed with either increasing or decreasing ΔT, overlap. The pattern velocities change discontinuously with each wave number transition, with a particularly large discontinuity at the transition from two to one wave. The frequency of the amplitude oscillations of the waves has been measured also. It has been found that the period of the oscillation of the three wave pattern is inversely proportional to the period of the pattern velocity, which means that in this case the ratio of the frequency of amplitude oscillation and the frequency of the pattern revolution is incommensurate.     

Dispersive effects of zonally varying topography on quasigeostrophic Rossby waves

Abstract

Dispersion of linear quasigeostrophic plane waves in a stratified ocean with bottom topography is discussed. Particular emphasis is given to cases for which zonal gradients in the sea floor height are important. As such, the relative importance of the topographic and planetary β-effects is strongly dependent on wave vector orientation. The magnitude of the topographic slopes considered is chosen such that these two effects (topographic and planetary β) are of comparable importance. In the interest of simplicity, stratification is taken to be independent of depth. The eigenvalue problem which must be solved to find the free modes of oscillation has already been treated in the literature (in fact, Charney and Flierl (1981) have treated the effects of a more realistic stratification). The aim of this note is to more fully expose, primarily by example, several dispersive properties of these free wave modes which have been largely overlooked.     

Internal waves in a rotating stratified fluid in an arbitrary gravitational field

Abstract

Small amplitude oscillations of a uniformly rotating, density stratified, Boussinesq, non-dissipative fluid are examined. A mathematical model is constructed to describe timedependent motions which are small deviations from an initial state that is motionless with respect to the rotating frame of reference. The basic stable density distribution is allowed to be an arbitrary prescribed function of the gravitational potential. The problem is considered for a wide class of gravitational fields. General properties of the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of square integrable oscillations are demonstrated, and a bound is obtained for the magnitude of the frequencies. The modal solutions are classified as to type. The eigenfunctions for the pressure field are shown to satisfy a second-order partial differential equation of mixed type, and the equation is obtained for the critical surfaces which delineate the elliptic and hyperbolic regions. The nature of the problem is examined in detail for certain specific gravitational fields, e.g., a radially symmetric field. Where appropriate, results are compared with those of other investigations of waves in a rotating fluid of spherical configuration and the novel aspects of the present treatment are emphasized. Explicit modal solutions are obtained in the specific example of a fluid contained in a rigid cylinder, stratified in the presence of vertical gravity, with the buoyancy frequency N being an arbitrary prescribed function of depth.     

Geophysical flows with anisotropic turbulence and dispersive waves: flows with stable stratification

The quasi-normal scale elimination (QNSE) is an analytical spectral theory of turbulence based upon a successive ensemble averaging of the velocity and temperature modes over the smallest scales of motion and calculating corresponding eddy viscosity and eddy diffusivity. By extending the process of successive ensemble averaging to the turbulence macroscale one eliminates all fluctuating scales and arrives at models analogous to the conventional Reynolds stress closures. The scale dependency embedded in the QNSE method reflects contributions from different processes on different scales. Two of the most important processes in stably stratified turbulence, internal wave propagation and flow anisotropization, are explicitly accounted for in the QNSE formalism. For relatively weak stratification, the theory becomes amenable to analytical processing revealing just how increasing stratification modifies the flow field via growing anisotropy and gravity wave radiation. The QNSE theory yields the dispersion relation for internal waves in the presence of turbulence and provides a theoretical reasoning for the Gargett et al. (J Phys Oceanogr 11:1258–1271, 1981) scaling of the vertical shear spectrum. In addition, it shows that the internal wave breaking and flow anisotropization void the notion of the critical Richardson number at which turbulence is fully suppressed. The isopycnal and diapycnal viscosities and diffusivities can be expressed in the form of the Richardson diffusion laws thus providing a theoretical framework for the Okubo dispersion diagrams. Transitions in the spectral slopes can be associated with the turbulence- and wave-dominated ranges and have direct implications for the transport processes. We show that only quasi-isotropic, turbulence-dominated scales contribute to the diapycnal diffusivity. On larger, buoyancy dominated scales, the diapycnal diffusivity becomes scale independent. This result underscores the well-known fact that waves can only transfer momentum but not a scalar and sheds a new light upon the Ellison–Britter–Osborn mixing model. It also provides a general framework for separation of the effects of turbulence and waves even if they act on the same spatial and temporal scales. The QNSE theory-based turbulence models have been tested in various applications and demonstrated reliable performance. It is suggested that these models present a viable alternative to conventional Reynolds stress closures.     

Trapped internal waves over undular topography in a partially mixed estuary

The flow of a stratified fluid over small-scale topographic features in an estuary may generate significant internal wave activity. Lee waves and upstream influence generated at isolated topographic features have received considerable attention during the past few decades. Field surveys of a partially mixed estuary, the Rotterdam Waterway, in 1987, also showed a plethora of internal wave activity generated by isolated topography, banks and groynes. Additionally it revealed a spectacular series of resonant internal waves trapped above low-amplitude bed waves. The internal waves reached amplitudes of 3–4 m in an estuary with a mean depth of 16 m. The waves were observed during the decreasing flood tide and are thought to make a significant contribution to turbulence production and mixing. However, while stationary linear and finite amplitude theories can be used to explain the presence of these waves, it is important to further investigate their time-dependent and non-linear behaviour. With the development of advanced non-hydrostatic models it now becomes possible to further investigate these waves through numerical experimentation. This is the focus of the work presented here. The non-hydrostatic finite element numerical model FINEL3D developed by Labeur was used in the experiments presented here. The model has been shown to work well in a number of stratified flow investigations. Here, we first show that the model reproduces the field data and for idealised stationary flow scenarios that the results are in agreement with the resonant response predicted by linear theory. Then we explore the effects of non-linearity and time dependence and consider the importance of resonant internal waves for turbulence production in stratified coastal environments.Responsible Editior: Hans Burchard     

Flow of a double-diffusive stratified fluid in a differentially-rotating cylinder

Abstract

A study has been made of a basic state of axisymmetric flow, at large rotational Reynolds numbers, in a double-diffusive stratified fluid contained in a vertically-mounted, differentially-rotating cylindrical cavity. The aim is to describe the qualitative characteristics of the flow of a fluid, the density of which is stratified by two diffusive effects, i.e., temperature and salinity gradients. Attention is confined to situations in which the temperature and salinity gradients make opposing contributions to the overall density profile, the undisturbed stratification being gravitationally stable. Finite difference numerical solutions of the governing Navier-Stokes equations have been obtained using the Boussinesq approximation. The results are presented in a way that illustrates the explicit effects of double-diffusivity when the cavity aspect ratio, height/radius, is O(1). The principal non-dimensional parameters characterizing the flow field are identified. In the interior core, the primary dynamic balance is between the horizontal density gradient and the vertical shear of the prevailing azimuthal velocity. The effective stratification is seen to decrease as the double-diffusivity increases, even if the overall stratification parameter, St, is held constant. The solute field contains a very thin boundary layer structure at large Lewis numbers. The effective stratification increases with the Prandtl number. Results have been derived for extreme values of the cavity aspect ratio. For small cavity aspect ratios, the dominant dynamic ingredients are viscous diffusion and rotation. For large aspect ratios, the bulk of the flow field is determined by the rotating sidewall. In this case, the direct influence of the double-diffusivity is minor.     

On the atmospheric internal ship waves

The analytical solutions of the atmospheric internal ship waves induced by three-dimensional terrain are obtained by solving the atmospheric wave equation. The solutions show that the waves consist of the untrapped and trapped parts. The patterns of the diverging wave and transverse wave in the untrapped parts are mainly determined by the shape and orientation of the terrain. This kind of wave may transport the wave energy to the upper atmosphere. The patterns of trapped lee waves are decided by the atmospheric conditions such as stratification, mean wind speeds and wind shear.     

Inertial waves in a fluid partially filling a cylindrical cavity during spin-up from rest

Abstract

Inertial waves are excited in a fluid contained in a slightly tilted rotating cylindrical cavity while the fluid is spinning up from rest. The surface of the fluid is free. Since the perturbation frequency is equal to the rotation speed resonance occurs at a critical height to radius aspect ratio of the fluid. Detailed study of a particular inertial wave shows that in solid body rotation this “eigenratio” agrees with predictions from linear inviscid theory to within 0.5%. Measured time dependence of the eigenratio during spin-up from rest is a function of the tilt amplitude and agrees favorably with predictions from a numerical study. Mean flow associated with the inertial wave becomes unstable during spin-up and in the steady state. A boundary for the unstable region is found experimentally.     

Edge‐, bottom‐, and Rossby waves in a rotating stratified fluid

Abstract

It is found that in a rotating stratified fluid bounded by a single rigid wall, edge waves may occur at all frequencies less than or equal to N sin a (a is the angle of the wall from the horizontal and N the Brunt‐Vaisala frequency). These decay exponentially away from the boundary, in a distance of O(S) wavelengths, for α = O(1), or O(S ^‐1) wavelengths, for αS ≤ O(1), where S is the ratio of N to the Coriolis parameter f, taken for illustration to be large. The phase and energy both move with a component to the left, facing shallow water. The waves could, for example, appear as an internal tide at the continental rise or as baroclinic meandering of currents over a slope.

The low‐frequency limit, αS ? 1, is studied in detail. To allow for large scales of motion other rigid boundaries and variations in f are included. The edge (actually “bottom") waves then merge with topographic‐planetary waves as the wavelengths increase; the familiar depth‐independent mode is found to be possible in the sea for wavelengths exceeding about 450 km. The ß‐effect introduces modes complementary to that trapped at the bottom, which instead are isolated from it.