Sonya Legg
Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Princeton University
Nonlinear internal waves: how tides mix the deep ocean
Tidal flow over topography in a density-stratified ocean leads to the
generation of internal waves. When these internal waves break, mixing of
heat and salt can occur which may play a role in the large-scale ocean
overturning circulation. I will describe numerical simulations of the
nonlinear processes which lead to internal wave breaking, including
transient hydraulic jumps and parametric subharmonic instability.