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Vortex shedding and sediment resuspension associated with the interaction of an internal solitary wave and the bottom boundary layer
Author(s) -
Stastna Marek,
Lamb Kevin G.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2001gl014070
Subject(s) - vortex shedding , boundary layer , vortex , mechanics , geology , vorticity , internal wave , boundary (topology) , physics , instability , geophysics , turbulence , reynolds number , mathematical analysis , mathematics
In this note we present results on the interaction of fully nonlinear internal solitary waves with the oceanic bottom boundary layer. We show that for fully nonlinear solitary waves it is the interaction of the wave induced velocity field with the upstream boundary layer vorticity that leads to a vortex shedding instability beneath the wave. The vortex shedding provides an efficient mechanism for transporting sediment out of the bottom boundary layer. Bottom boundary stress profiles suggest that the vortex shedding can lead to the resuspension of sediment. In contrast to past studies we find that neither a separation bubble or a wave with a recirculating region are required for vortex shedding to occur.