An experimental study of stratified mixing caused by internal solitary waves in a two-layered fluid system over variable seabed topography

Abstract Stratified mixing is observed in a wave flume on an internal solitary wave (ISW) of depression or elevation type propagating over a submarine ridge. The submarine ridges, which comprise the seabed topography, are either semicircular or triangular. Tests are performed in a series of combinations of submarine ridges with different heights and ISW in different amplitudes within a two-layer fluid system. When the thickness of the top layer is less than that of the lower layer (i.e., H 1 H 2 ), a depression-type ISW may produce a strong hydraulic jump with downwards motion and continuous eddy diffusion. During diffusion, the leading profile of the ISW transforms a wrapped vortex on the front face of the ridge, and a vortex separation at the apex of the ridge. Meanwhile, an elevation-type ISW causes a vortex in the lee of a submarine ridge, which resembles a surface solitary wave in terms of wave transmission process. The degree of wave-obstacle interaction is determined by energy loss, which is induced by submarine ridge blockage. The experiment results suggest that degree of blocking can be applied to classify various degrees of ISW-obstacle encounter in the stratified two-layer fluid system.