Hydraulic jumps at boundaries in rotating fluids

Abstract

We consider three-dimensional hydraulic jumps (shocks) propagating along boundaries in rotating fluids. This study is motivated by earlier work (Fedorov & Melville 1995), which dealt with the evolution to breaking of nonlinear Kelvin waves. We obtain the jump relations and derive an evolution equation for the jump as it propagates along the boundary. It is shown that after some initial adjustment the Kelvin-type jump assumes a permanent form and propagates with a constant velocity along the boundary or the coast. At some distance offshore the jump becomes oblique to the coastline, and the final shape of the jump and its speed depend only on the jump strength. The jump gives rise to a moderate mass transport offshore. The potential vorticity remains almost constant across the jump. The energy loss in the jump is proportional to the third power of the jump amplitude, which is similar to classical two-dimensional hydraulic jumps in non-rotating fluids. Jump properties are discussed for both weak and strong nonlinearity, and the role of a boundary layer region behind the leading edge of the jump is considered.