Abstract & Overview
The shoaling of an internal solitary waves of depression in two layer fluid with a idealized slope-shelf topography is studied to classify the regimes of shoaling.Two mechanisms were assumed to be essential during wave shoaling: (i) wave breaking resulting in mixing and (ii) changing of the polarity of the initial wave of depression over the slope into wave of elevation on the shelf.Proposed three-dimensional 𝛼𝛽𝛾 classification diagram is based on three parameters: the slope angle 𝛾, the non-dimensional wave amplitude 𝛼 (wave amplitude normalized on the upper layer thickness) and the blocking parameter 𝛽 that is the ratio of the height of the bottom layer on the the shelf to the incident wave amplitude.Relations between the parameters 𝛼,𝛽,𝛾 for each regime were obtained using the empirical condition for wave breaking and weakly nonlinear theory for criterion of changing polarity of the wave.Four zones were separated in 𝛼𝛽𝛾 classification diagram: (I) Without changing polarity and wave breaking; (II) Changing polarity without breaking; (III) Wave breaking without changing polarity; (IV) Wave breaking with changing polarity.The results of field, laboratory and numerical experiments were compared with proposed classification and good agreement was found.