Internal and inertial waves in a viscous rotating stratified fluid

Abstract

The effects of viscosity on the propagation of a St. Andrew's cross wave which is generated by a simple-harmonic localized disturbance in a rotating stratified fluid are considered. A similarity solution of the linearised equations shows that the velocities decay and that the wave width increases away from the disturbance. Previous solutions in a stratified non-rotating fluid are recovered by letting the rotation tend to zero. The solutions are also valid in the limit of a homogeneous rotating fluid. Further solutions for waves in a realistic ocean and in an isothermal atmosphere on a rotating Earth are also included.