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The generation and quantitative visualization of breaking internal waves

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Abstract

New techniques for the generation and quantitative visualization of breaking progressive internal waves are presented. Laboratory techniques applicable to general stratified flow experiments are also demonstrated. The planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) technique is used to produce calibrated images of the wave breaking process, and the details of the PLIF measurements are described in terms of the necessary corrections and considerations for the application of PLIF to stratified flows. Results of the flow visualization and wave generation techniques are presented, which show that the nature of internal wave breaking is strongly dependent on the type of breaking internal wave considered.

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Notes

  1. For comparison, a temperature difference of 1°C is significant to cause an IOR fluctuation of Δn≈0.0001 (McDougall 1979).

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Robert Brown, Emily Pidgeon, and John Crimaldi for help with the experimental facility and measurement techniques, and to David Hill for alerting us to the idea of the laterally contracting channel. We also acknowledge the help of three anonymous reviewers, whose comments greatly improved this paper. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, Physical Oceanography Division grant NSF OCE-9624081.

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  1. Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    C. D. Troy & J. R. Koseff

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  1. C. D. Troy
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Correspondence to C. D. Troy.

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Troy, C.D., Koseff, J.R. The generation and quantitative visualization of breaking internal waves. Exp Fluids 38, 549–562 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-004-0909-9

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