SEMINAR: CWR Presents

Nonlinear internal waves (NLIWs) travel long distances from their deep water generation sites in lakes and oceans, ultimately breaking where they shoal upon sloping topography. NLIW breaking leads to localized turbulent mixing and sediment resuspension, which influence biogeochemical cycles, and it remains desirable to include these effects in Reynolds-averaged water management models. However, NLIWs are nonhydrostatic features that are below feasible model grid-scales and their direct simulation remains difficult.

This presentation provides an overview of recent process-based research designed to unravel NLIW dynamics. High-resolution two-dimensional direct numerical simulations are applied to model idealized NLIW shoaling and resuspension over no-slip boundaries, while massively parallel three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged simulations reveal NLIW-topography interaction in real systems.

Results from this research show that NLIW propagation is fundamentally three-dimensional and breaking dynamics are strongly dependent upon the no-slip boundary condition.These findings make it unlikely that NLIWs will soon be included in Reynolds-averaged management models.

PS* This seminar is free and open to the public & no RSVP required.

****All Welcome****