Surface gravity waves propagating in a rotating frame: the Ekman-Stokes instability

• Published in: arXiv.org
• Main Authors: Kannabiran Seshasayanan, Gallet, Basile
• Format: Paper Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 25.11.2019
• Subjects: Asymptotes; Asymptotic series; Cellular structure; Computational fluid dynamics; Drift; Flow stability; Flow velocity; Fluid flow; Gravitational waves; Gravity waves; Physics - Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics; Physics - Fluid Dynamics; Reynolds number; Rotation; Surface stability; Velocity distribution; Wave propagation

We report on an instability arising when surface gravity waves propagate in a rotating frame. The Stokes drift associated to the uniform wave field, together with global rotation, drives a mean flow in the form of a horizontally invariant Ekman-Stokes spiral. We show that the latter can be subject t...