Nonlinear Internal Wave Run-Up on Impermeable Steep Slopes

Abstract

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the run-up of internal solitary waves (ISWs) on steep uniform slopes in a two-layered fluid system with a free surface. A 12 m long wave flume, which incorporated a movable vertical gate for generating ISWs, was used in the experiments. A steep uniform slope was modeled at one end of the flume. In the present study we looked at internal waves with small and large amplitudes using a steep uniform slope (from one of θ=30, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 130 deg) much longer than those previously published in the literature. Results collected from a wide range of experimental runs show that the run-up height depends on the planar slope, while the breaking depth is only antecedent to the amplitude of an ISW. The overall quantitative agreement with the linear feature aspects of the incident wave amplitude is encouraging.