ESS228
Prof. Jin-Yi Yu
Shallow
Water Gravity Wave
Governing
Equation
We
assume that the motion is
two dimensional in the x, z plane.
(e.g., air and water)
Shallow water
wave speed » 200 ms-1 for an ocean depth of 4km
q Shallow water gravity waves may also occur at
thermocline where the surface water is
separated from the deep water.
(These waves can also referred to as the
internal gravity waves).
q If the density changes by an amount
δρ/ρ1 ≈ 0.01, across the thermocline,
then the wave speed for waves traveling along the
thermocline will be only one-tenth of the surface wave speed for a
fluid of the same depth.
§ The shallower the water, the slower the
wave.
§ Shallow water gravity waves are
non-dispersive.