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Strong particle dispersion by weakly dissipative random internal waves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2013

Oliver Bühler*
Affiliation:
Center for Atmosphere Ocean Science at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA
Nicolas Grisouard
Affiliation:
Center for Atmosphere Ocean Science at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA Department of Environmental Earth System Science, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Miranda Holmes-Cerfon
Affiliation:
Center for Atmosphere Ocean Science at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA
*
Email address for correspondence: obuhler@cims.nyu.edu

Abstract

Simple stochastic models and direct nonlinear numerical simulations of three-dimensional internal waves are combined in order to understand the strong horizontal particle dispersion at second-order in wave amplitude that arises when small-amplitude internal waves are exposed to weak dissipation. This is contrasted with the well-known results for perfectly inviscid internal waves, in which such dispersion arises only at fourth-order in wave amplitude.

Type
Rapids
Copyright
©2013 Cambridge University Press

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