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Long nonlinear topographic planetary waves in a rotating stratified ocean

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Abstract

Long nonlinear topographic waves in a continuously stratified ocean with a linear bottom slope are investigated. It is shown that odd cross-channel modes are governed by the Korteweg-de Vries (K-dV) equation. The solitary waves are those of a low pressure type. The long waves are shown to be modulationally stable because of the nonlinear effect due to irrotational motion.

All these results are missed if the conventional quasi-geostrophic approximation is adopted.

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Yamagata, T. Long nonlinear topographic planetary waves in a rotating stratified ocean. Journal of the Oceanographical Society of Japan 38, 339–345 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02111030

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02111030

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