Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-128) / Microfiche. / xii, 128 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Les ondes internes jouent un rôle important dans de nombreux processus dans les océans.L’interaction entre les vagues internes et la topographie océanique a longtemps été un champ de recherche actif. Pourtant, il reste beaucoup de questions sur le sujet. Dans cette thèse, deux processus principaux sont examinés, à savoir la réflexion de faisceaux d’ondes internes sur une pente, et la génération d’ondes sous le vent sur un obstacle tridimensionnel, en utilisant des expériences de laboratoire et des simulations numériques.La réflexion non linéaire d’un faisceau d’onde interne sur une pente uniforme est étudiée à l’aide de la théorie des invisques bidimensionnels et de simulations numériques. Les interactions triadiques résonnantes entre les faisceaux d’ondes incidentes, réfléchies et de deuxième harmonique sont étudiées en développant la théorie existante et en les vérifiant avec des résultats pour des simulations numériques.Dans le cas de la réflexion de faisceaux d’ondes internes tridimensionnels, un fort flux horizontal moyen est induit par le faisceau d’onde, qui perturbe le champ d’onde et affaiblit les secondes harmoniques. La génération de ce flux moyen induit par les vagues est examinée à l’aide des résultats d’expériences et de simulations numériques tridimensionnelles. De plus,les effets de la rotation de fond sur le débit moyen induit par les vagues sont également étudiés à l’aide de simulations numériques.Le courant circumpolaire antarctique est considéré comme l’une des principales sources de mélange dans les océans. La modélisation en laboratoire du courant circumpolaire antarctique a été réalisée sur la plate-forme de Coriolis à LEGI pour étudier la traînée induite par la topographie sur le courant. L’expérience et ses résultats sont également présentés. / Internal waves play an important role in many processes in oceans. The interaction be-tween internal waves and ocean topography has been an active field of research for long. Yetthere are many questions remaining on the topic. In this thesis, two main processes are ex-amined namely, the reflection of internal wave beams on a slope, and generation of lee wavesover a three-dimensional obstacle, using laboratory experiments and numerical simulations.The nonlinear reflection of an internal wave beam on a uniform slope is studied using two-dimensional inviscid theory and numerical simulations. The resonant triadic interactionsamong the incident, reflected and second harmonic wave beams are investigated developingon existing theory and verifying them with results for numerical simulations.In the case of reflection of three-dimensional internal wave beams, a strong mean horizon-tal flow is found to be induced by the wave beam, which perturbs the wave field and weakensthe second harmonics. The generation of this wave-induced mean flow is examined usingresults from experiments and three-dimensional numerical simulations. Furthermore, theeffects of background rotation on the wave induced mean flow are also studied using numer-ical simulations.The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is considered as one of the main sources of mixing inoceans. Laboratory modelling of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current was done in the Coriolisplatform at LEGI to study the topography induced drag on the current. The experiment andits results are also presented.

La stabilité d'un écoulement de couche limite sur une paroi verticale et d'un écoulement de canal entre deux parois verticales est étudiée en présence d'une stratification en densité. Des analyses de stabilité modale et non-modale sont conduites.Pour l'écoulement de couche limite sur une paroi verticale, l'analyse de stabilité temporelle est réalisé pour un profil de vitesse en tanh. Les caractéristiques sont décrites en fonction du nombre de Reynolds (Re) et du nombre de Froude (F). Je montre que l'écoulement de couche limite est sujet à l'instabilité visqueuse et à l'instabilité radiative qui conduisent respectivement à la formation d'ondes de Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) et à la génération spontanée d'ondes internes. Je montre que l'instabilité radiative diminue le nombre de Reynolds critique et domine l'instabilité visqueuse pour des grands nombres de Reynolds. L'instabilité radiative devrait donc être observable dans les expériences et les écoulements géophysiques atmosphériques ou océaniques. Pour l'écoulement de canal, je réalise une étude de stabilité temporelle ainsi qu'une étude des perturbations optimales en utilisant le profil de vitesse de Poiseuille. Comme pour l'écoulement de couche limite, je montre que l'instabilité visqueuse est dominée par une instabilité 3D associée à la stratification. Cette dernière affecte également la croissance transitoire des perturbations. Les deux mécanismes fondamentaux de croissance transitoire que sont les mécanismes de Orr et de ``lift-up'' sont toujours présents mais le mécanisme de lift-up est fortement atténuée par la stratification et rapidement dominée par la présence des instabilités 3D. / The stability of a boundary layer on a vertical wall and a channel flow between two vertical walls is studied in the presence of density stratification. Both modal and non-modal analysis are conducted in these studies. For the boundary layer on a vertical wall, a temporal stability analysis is performed for a tanh velocity profile. The characteristics are analysed as functions of the Reynolds number (Re) and the Froude number (F). The boundary layer is found to be unstable to viscous instability and radiative instability. The viscous instability can lead to Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves, and the radiative instability may generate internal gravity waves spontaneously. The radiative instability reduces the critical Re for instability. And for large Reynolds numbers, it dominates the viscous instability. Consequently, radiative instability may develop in experiments and various geophysical situations in the ocean and atmosphere.For the channel flow, we choose plane Poiseuille flow as a prototype. Both the exponential instability and transient growth are analysed. There are also two kinds of exponential instabilities, viscous instability and a 3D instability. The 3D instability influences the behaviour of the transient growth. The fundamental mechanisms in transient growth are the inclination of upstream tilting waves and the growth of streamwise vortices, which are referred to as Orr mechanism and lift-up mechanism. In the presence of stratification, the Orr mechanism is not affected while the lift-up mechanism is weakened. The combination of these two mechanisms is amplified by the influence of the 3D instabilities.

Les ondes internes de gravité jouent un rôle important dans les échanges énergétiques océaniques, en particulier par leur mécanisme d'atténuation. Il est alors crucial de déterminer et de quantifier les différents processus permettant un transfert d'énergie vers les petites échelles et aboutissant ainsi au mélange océanique. Nous avons, pour cela, étudié précisément l'un de ces mécanismes: l'Instabilité Paramétrique Sous-harmonique (PSI). Cette instabilité permet la génération de deux ondes internes, de fréquence et de vecteurs d'ondes différents, à partir d'une onde primaire, par interaction non-linéaire résonante. L'étude expérimentale de cette instabilité a ainsi permis de mettre en évidence l'importance de certains paramètres (fréquence, amplitude, largeur de faisceau) quant au développement et à la sélection des ondes secondaires. Ces paramètres influent donc sur le transfert énergétique entre les échelles. En outre notre dispositif expérimental a permis de tester les limites de la théorie développée jusqu'à présent et a conduit à l'élaboration d'un nouveau modèle validé expérimentalement et numériquement.Par ailleurs, nous avons adapté la technique de Fluorescence Induite par Laser (LIF) à des fluides continûment stratifiés afin d'effectuer des mesures simultanées de vitesse (PIV) et de densité (LIF). Cette technique permet ainsi d'étudier expérimentalement l'effet de la propagation et de la déstabilisation des ondes internes de gravité sur une stratification linéaire, et d'accéder à des grandeurs associées au mélange. / Internal waves are believed to be of primary importance as they affect energy transfer, especially their dissipation mechanism. Therefore it is crucial to identify and measure the different processes evolving a transfer to smaller scales and leading to oceanic mixing. We have chosen to focus on one of these mechanisms: the Parametric Subharmonic Instability (PSI). This instability allows the generation from a primary wave of two secondary internal waves, with different frequencies and waves vectors, by nonlinear resonant interaction. The experimental study of this instability has helped to highlight the importance of some parameters (frequency, amplitude, beam width) for the development and the selection of secondary waves. Thus these parameters affect the energy transfer between scales. Moreover, our experimental device was used to test the limits of the theory developed so far and has led to the development of a new model, which has been validated experimentally and numerically.In addition, we adapted the technique of Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) to continuously stratified fluids, with the aim of performing simultaneous measurements of velocity (PIV) and density (LIF). This technique allows us to study experimentally the effect of propagation and destabilization of internal gravity waves on a linear stratification, and to access to quantities related to the mixing.

Les ondes internes sont omniprésentes dans les océans. Cette thèse analyse le cycle de vie des ondes internes et l'impact du déferlement de ces ondes sur le mélange turbulent dans deux bassins océaniques, aux caractéristiques contrastées, l'Arctique et l'Indien. Ces deux régions sont en effet aux antipodes de la circulation thermohaline avec l'océan Arctique lieu de formations d'eaux denses et l'Océan Indien région d'upwelling d'eaux denses. L'analyse de données de mouillage recueillies dans le Sud-Ouest de l'Océan Indien au niveau d'une dorsale océanique révèle la présence d'une forte marée interne. Cette marée interne montre une focalisation de l'énergie sous forme de 'rayons' dont la propagation est fortement influencée par les structures de méso-échelle. Malgré ce fort signal de marée interne, nous mettons en évidence la contribution majeure des ondes internes de fréquence proche-inertielle au mélange turbulent. Aux hautes latitudes l'analyse des séries temporelles recueillies au cours de trois printemps consécutifs dans le Storfjord, un fjord Arctique dans l'archipel Svalbard, montre la forte variabilité des ondes en fonction de la stratification et par conséquent un impact variable de ces ondes en terme de mélange turbulent. Les flux de chaleur diffusifs induits par le déferlement de ces ondes sont enfin estimés dans ces deux régions, permettant ainsi de replacer ces résultats dans le contexte global de la circulation thermohaline. / Internal waves are ubiquitous in the ocean, and play a key role in the global overturning circulation. This thesis analyzes the life cycle of internal waves in two distinct ocean basins: the Arctic and Indian Oceans. Hydrographic and velocity data are used to study the generation, propagation, and dissipation of internal waves in these two ocean basins. In the Indian Ocean, an area of mixing-driven upwelling, mooring data reveal the presence of a strong internal tide propagating as tidal beams above the Southwest Indian Ridge in the Indian Ocean basin. These tidal beams show a strong vertical structure, and their path of propagation is highly dependent on the mesoscale activity in the region. Despite this strong internal tide signal, however, mixing in the region is dominated by inertial internal waves. On the other side of the globe, in a region of deep water formation, shipboard data from four short time series from three consecutive springs in Storfjorden, an Arctic fjord in the Svalbard Archipelago, reveal a link between the vertical structure of the stratification profile and mixing in the Arctic. These environmental conditions, the changing mesoscale in the Indian Ocean, and the changing stratification in the Arctic Ocean, greatly impact the generation, propagation, and dissipation of internal waves, and subsequent turbulent mixing in theses two ocean basins.

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology is presented to predict density stratified flows in the near-field of ships and submarines. The density is solved using a higher-order transport equation coupled with mass and momentum conservation. Turbulence is implemented with a k-ε/k-ω based Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) approach, enabling explicit solution of larger energy-containing vortices in the wake. Validation tests are performed for a two-dimensional square cavity and the three-dimensional stratified flow past a sphere, showing good agreement with available data. The near-field flow of the self-propelled Research Vessel Athena advancing in a stably stratified fluid is studied, as well as the operation in stratified flow of the notional submarine Joubert BB2 also in self-propelled condition. The resulting density, velocity, pressure and turbulent quantities at the exit plane of the near-field computation contain a description of the relevant scales of the flow and can be used to compute the far-field stratified flow, including internal waves. The generation of internal waves is shown in the case of the submarine for two different conditions, one with the pycnocline located at the propeller centerline, and the second with the pycnocline located slightly below the submarine, concluding that distance to the pycnocline strongly affects the internal wave generation due to the presence of the vessel. It is also shown that, as in the case of surface waves, the generation of internal waves requires energy that results in an increase in resistance. For the case of the surface ship the near field wakes are mostly affected by the separation at the wet transom and propeller mixing. However, in the case of the underwater vessel, the disturbance of the background density profile by the presence of the submarine affects the near-field wakes. Finally, the dead-water phenomenon, which occurs at very low Froude numbers, is studied for R/V Athena. Though the dead water problem has been studied in the literature using potential flow methods, this thesis presents the first attempt at using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to analyze the flow. Results show that, while CFD can reproduce trends observed in potential flow studies, viscous effects are significant in the wake and the friction coefficient.

Internal waves are generated in stratified fluids, like the ocean, where density increases with depth. Tides are one of the major generation mechanisms of internal waves. As the tides move water back and forth over underwater topography, internal waves can be generated. The shape of the topography plays a major part in the properties of the generated internal wave and the type of wave and energy is known for multiple symmetric topographies, such as Gaussian or sinusoidal. In order to further understand the effects topographic shape plays, the effect of asymmetry on internal waves is investigated. First, two experimental methods are compared to evaluate which will capture the relevant information for comparing waves generated from oscillating asymmetric topographies. Two experimental methods are often used in internal wave research, Synthetic Schlieren (SS) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Both SS and PIV experimental methods are used to analyze a set of experiments in a variety of density profiles and with a variety of topographies. The results from these experiments are then compared both qualitatively and quantitatively to decide which method to use for further research. In the setup, the larger field of view of SS results in superior resolution in wavenumber analysis, when compared to PIV. In addition, SS is 25% faster to setup and significantly cheaper. These are the deciding factors leading to the selection of SS as the preferred experimental method for further tests regarding tidally generated internal waves from asymmetric topographies. Previous experimental and theoretical research on tidally generated internal waves has most often used symmetric topographies. However, due to the complex nature of real ocean topography, the effect of asymmetry can not be overlooked. A few studies have shown that asymmetry can have a significant effect on internal wave generation, but topographic asymmetry has not been studied in a systematic manner up to this point. This work presents a comparison of tidally generated internal waves from nine different asymmetric topographies, consisting of a steeper Gaussian curve on one side, and a wider Gaussian curve on the other. The wider curve has varying amplitude from 1 to 0.6 of the steeper curve's amplitude, and two oscillation frequencies are explored. First, kinetic energy density in tidally generated internal waves is compared qualitatively and quantitatively, in both physical and Fourier space. When compared to similar symmetric topographies, the asymmetric topographies varied distinctly in the amount of internal wave kinetic energy generated. In general, internal wave kinetic energy generated from asymmetric topographies is higher for waves generated at a lower frequency than at a higher frequency. Also, kinetic energy is higher in internal waves on the relatively steeper side of the topography. There is very little kinetic energy in the higher wavenumbers, with most of the internal waves being generated at the lower wavenumbers. The amplitude does not make an appreciable difference in the wavenumber at which the internal waves are generated. Thus, the differences quantified here are due solely to changing slope, showing a significant impact of a relatively slight asymmetry.

The fluid circulation patterns, temperature distributions, and density gradients of the South Arm of the Great Salt Lake were modeled using the Estuary, Lake, and Coastal Ocean Model (ELCOM) from the Centre for Water Research at the University of Western Australia. The effort is part of a research study in conjunction with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Utah Water Research Lab located at Utah State University. The model was simulated for several different cases of salinity gradients over different time periods, using temperature and wind data from 2006. The model is then used to identify factors which may provide a transport mechanism of heavy metals such as selenium and mercury from the sediment layers to the upper brine layers where it is introduced into the food chain.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Meteorology, 1980. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Science. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 196-201. / byLee-Lueng Fu. / Ph.D.

Thesis. 1975. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Meteorology. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 170-173. / Ph.D.