ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Recent laboratory modelling work by the authors on the behaviour of internal solitary waves (ISWs) in shallow, stably-stratified, multi-layer fluid systems is described, for cases in which the amplitude of the wave is comparable with the total depth of the system. The paper concentrates attention on particular aspects of shallow water ISW behaviour, namely, (i) the generation of transient boundary currents on the bottom solid boundary, (ii) the instability characteristics of such boundary currents, (iii) the differences in behaviour between ISWs of elevation and depression, (iv) the stability characteristics of ISWs in fluid systems of constant depth and (v) the consequences of wave breaking for vertical mixing. Experimental data are presented to illustrate the properties of the above flows and comparisons are made, where appropriate, with predictions from theory, numerical models and field observations.
