On the dynamics of internal waves propagating in stratified media of a variable depth: exact and asymptotic solutions

Abstract

The dynamics of internal waves in stratified media, such as the ocean or atmosphere, is highly dependent on the topography of their floor. A closed-form analytical solution can be derived only in cases when the water distribution density and the shape of the floor are modeled with specific functions. In a general case when the characteristics of stratified media and the boundary conditions are arbitrary, the dynamics of internal waves can be only approximated with numerical methods. However, numerical solutions do not describe the wave field qualitatively. At the same time, the need for a qualitative analysis of the far field of internal waves arises in studies applying remote sensing methods in space-based radar applications. In this case, the dynamics of internal waves can be described using asymptotic models. In this paper, we derive asymptotic solutions to the problem of characterizing the far field of internal gravity waves propagating in a stratified medium with a smoothly varying floor.