Modal decomposition for Non-Uniform Stratification

Sai Saandeep

September 16, 2023

Contents

1 Introduction 2

2 Modal Decomposition 3
2.1 Orthogonality of Eigenfunctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 Uni-directional Modal Decomposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1
Chapter 1

Introduction

Small-amplitude, two-dimensional internal waves, under the incompressible, inviscid, Boussinesq

approximations, are governed by
∂2 ∂2ψ ∂2ψ 2 2
 
2∂ ψ 2∂ ψ
+ + N + f = 0, (1.1)
∂t2 ∂x2 ∂z 2 ∂x2 ∂z 2
where x and z denote the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, t is time, ψ is the pertur-
bation stream function. N0 is the buoyancy frequency, which we assume to be constant.
Let ψ = Φ(z)ei(kx−ωt) . Therefore, equation(1.1) becomes:

d2 Φ N 2 − ω 2 2
+ 2 k Φ=0 (1.2)
dz 2 ω − f2
with boundary conditions as Φ(z = 0) = Φ(z
= H) = nπ 0. For uniform stratification, as N =
nπz
constant, we get mode shapes Φn = sin H and kn = H cot θ . For non-uniform stratification, we
need to solve equation(1.2) numerically to get mode shapes Φn (z) and wave numbers kn .
The general solution is:
∞
X
ψ= an Φn (z) cos(kn x − ωt + αn ) (1.3)
n=1

Therefore, the x-component of velocity is:

∞
∂ψ X dΦn
u=− = (−an ) cos(kn x − ωt + αn ) (1.4)
∂z dz
n=1

The y-momentum equation is:

∞
∂v X dΦn
= −f u = (an f ) cos(kn x − ωt + αn ) (1.5)
∂t dz
n=1

and hence out-of-plane-velocity v is:

∞
X −an f dΦn
v= sin(kn x − ωt + αn ) (1.6)
ω dz
n=1

2
Chapter 2

Modal Decomposition

2.1 Orthogonality of Eigenfunctions

As equation(1.2) is a Sturm-Liouville BVP, the eigenfunctions satisfy the orthogonality relation.
H
N (z)2 − ω 2
Z
Φm (z)Φn (z) dz = 0 for m ̸= n (2.1)
0 ω2 − f 2

For m = n, let
H
N (z)2 − ω 2 2
Z
Γn = Φn (z) dz (2.2)
0 ω2 − f 2
.
dΦn
Now, let us check the orthogonality of dz .
Z H Z H
Φ′n Φ′m dz = [Φn Φ′m ]H
0 − Φ′′m (z)Φn (z) dz
0 0

From Boundary Conditions, we can say that Φn (0) = Φn (H) = 0 and hence [Φn Φ′m ]H
0 = 0.
From the ODE(1.2), we have
d2 Φm N 2 − ω2 2
= − k Φm
dz 2 ω2 − f 2 m
Therefore the integral simplifies to equation(2.3) after invoking orthogonality relations(2.1) and
(2.2).
Z H Z H 2 (
′ ′ N − ω2 2 0 if m ̸= n
Φn Φm dz = 2 2
km Φm Φn (z) dz = 2
(2.3)
0 0 ω −f Γm km if m = n
This means that Φ′n (z) and Φ′m (z) are orthogonal functions for m ̸= n.

3
2.2 Uni-directional Modal Decomposition
Given a velocity field u(x, z, t), we are interested to do a modal decomposition assuming that there
is only left to right propagating wave.
At a particular x-location x = x0 , u(x, z, t) is given by
∞
X dΦn (z)
u(x0 , z, t) = −an cos (kn x0 − ωt + αn )
dz
n=1

dΦm
Multiplying with dz on both sides (where m ∈ N), we get:
∞
dΦm (z) X dΦn (z) dΦm (z)
u(x0 , z, t) = −an cos (kn x0 − ωt + αn )
dz dz dz
n=1

Integrating on both sides from z = 0 to z = H and using the orthogonality property(2.3), we

get: Z H
dΦm (z) 2
u(x0 , z, t) dz = −am Γm km cos (km x0 − ωt + αm ) (2.4)
0 dz
π
To calculate am we consider the wave at 2 different time instants t = t1 and t = t1 + 2ω . At
time t = t1 the equation(2.4) is:
Z H
dΦm (z) 2
u(x0 , z, t1 ) dz = −am Γm km cos (km x0 − ωt1 + αm ) (2.5)
0 dz

Similarly at time t = t2 , the equation(2.4) is:

Z H
dΦm (z) 2
u(x0 , z, t2 ) dz = −am Γm km cos (km x0 − ωt2 + αm ) (2.6)
0 dz
Define integrals in LHS of the above 2 equations as
Z H
dΦm (z)
I1 = u(x0 , z, t1 ) dz
0 dz
and Z H
dΦm (z)
I2 = u(x0 , z, t1 ) dz.
0 dz
These integrals can be found using Simpson’s rule.
We can expand cos (km x0 − ωt1 + αm ) as:

cos (km x0 − ωt1 + αm ) = cos (km x0 − ωt2 + αm + ω(t2 − t1 ))

= cos (km x0 − ωt2 + αm ) cos(ω(t2 − t1 )) − sin(km x0 − ωt1 + αm ) sin(ω(t2 − t1 ))
I1 I2
=⇒ 2
= 2
cos(ω(t2 − t1 )) − sin(km x0 − ωt2 + αm ) sin(ω(t2 − t1 ))
−am Γm km −am Γm km

If ω(t2 − t1 ) ̸= nπ where n ∈ Z, then

4
 I1 − I2 cos(ω(t2 − t1 ))
am sin(km x0 − ωt2 + αm ) = 2
cosec(ω(t2 − t1 )) (2.7)
Γm km
Now using equations (2.6) and (2.7), we can calculate am .
 2  2
I2 I1 − I2 cos(ω(t2 − t1 ))
a2m = 2
+ 2
cosec(ω(t2 − t1 )) (2.8)
Γm km Γm km