Internal gravity waves transport energy and momentum in both the atmosphere and the ocean. This physical process occurs at such small length scales that it is not captured
by coarse resolution numerical models of weather and climate. A series of experiments is presented that model the generation of non-hydrostatic internal gravity waves by intrusions and by the forcing of wind driven turbulent eddies in the surface mixed layer of the ocean. In a first set of experiments, gravity currents intrude into a uniformly stratified ambient fluid and the internal waves that are launched are examined with a finite-volume, full-depth, lock-release setup. In a second set of experiments, isolated rough topography is towed through stratified fluid and the interaction between the turbulent wake and internal waves is investigated. In a third set of experiments, a turbulent shear layer is forced by a conveyor belt affixed with flat plates near the surface of a stratified fluid and downward propagating internal waves are generated. The turbulence in the shear layer is characterized using particle image velocimetry to measure the kinetic energy as well as length and time scales. The internal waves are measured using synthetic schlieren to determine the amplitudes, frequencies, and the energy of the generated waves. Finally, numerical simulations are used to validate and extend the results of laboratory experiments. The thesis will address the question of what fraction of the turbulent kinetic energy of a shear turbulent mixed layer is radiated away by internal waves. Implications for internal waves propagating into the ocean are discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:AEU.10048/737 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Munroe, James Ross |
| Contributors | Sutherland, Bruce (Physics and Earth & Atmospheric Sciences), Heimpel, Moritz (Physics), Wilson, John (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences), Kravchinsky, Vadim (Physics), Myers, Paul (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences), Peacock, Thomas (Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 8222332 bytes, application/pdf |
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