A NOTE ON THE ATMOSPHERIC SOLITARY WAVE

Abstract

An attempt is made to show that a single elevation of permanent type may exist in a two-layer atmosphere at the interface between the two layers. The compressibility of the air, friction, the earth's rotation, and its spherical shape are neglected. It is assumed that the free surface of the upper layer remains undisturbed at all times, and that the hydrostatic relation holds in the upper layer when the lower layer is disturbed. It is found that, under these simplifying assumptions, internal solitary waves may exist in the atmosphere. The shape of these waves and the conditions attending their formation are found to be identical with those of shallow water waves as given by Keller.