REFLECTION AND TRANSMISSION OF INTERNAL SOLITARY WAVES ACROSS A BARRIER

Transmission and reflection of an internal solitary wave on a two-laye r fluid as it encounters a barrier is considered. An edge-layer theory is used to derive the reduced boundary conditions relevant to the sha llow-water equations. It is found that for a moderate height of the ba rrier the incident wave is not affected except by being phase shifted. On the other hand, for a relatively high barrier the incident wave sp lits into a transmitted wave and a reflected wave. The reflected wave evolves into a small soliton with decaying ripples, and the transmitte d wave evolves into a larger soliton and an oscillating tail.