Modelling of Polarity Change in a Nonlinear Internal Wave Train in Laoshan Bay

Abstract

Abstract There are now several observations of internal solitary waves passing through a critical point where the coefficient of the quadratic nonlinear term in the variable coefficient Korteweg–de Vries equation changes sign, typically from negative to positive as the wave propagates shoreward. This causes a solitary wave of depression to transform into a train of solitary waves of elevation riding on a negative pedestal. However, recently a polarity change of a different kind was observed in Laoshan Bay, China, where a periodic wave train of elevation waves converted to a periodic wave train of depression waves as the thermocline rose on a rising tide. This paper describes the application of a newly developed theory for this phenomenon. The theory is based on the variable coefficient Korteweg–de Vries equation for the case when the coefficient of the quadratic nonlinear term undergoes a change of sign and predicts that a periodic wave train will pass through this critical point as a linear wave, where a phase change occurs that induces a change in the polarity of the wave, as observed. A two-layer model of the density stratification and background current shear is developed to make the theoretical predictions specific and quantitative. Some numerical simulations of the variable coefficient Korteweg–de Vries equation, and also the extended variable coefficient Korteweg–de Vries equation, are reported that confirm the theoretical predictions and are in good agreement with the observations.