Microstructure Analysis

Field observations have revealed that the oceans thermocline possesses an internal structure consisting of a series of thin, laminar sheets of high gradient separated by steps of only moderate density gradient. Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain the observed phenomenon. These mechanisms consist of double diffusion, interleaving, internal gravity wave breaking and internal wave steepening. In this report, the concept of interval wave steepening is examined. The authors first determine the set of admissable wave solutions and then examine the nonlinear coupling. Comparison with field data establishes the feasibility of the wave steepening approach.