Propagation and breaking of nonlinear Kelvin waves

Abstract

In the absence of dispersive (nonhydrostatic) effects, such waves may evolve to breaking. One of the effects of rotation is to delay the onset of breaking in time by up to 60%, with respect to a comparable wave in the absence of rotation. This delay is consistent with qualitative conclusions based on transverse averaging of the evolution equations. Further, the onset of breaking occurs almost simultaneously over a zone of uniform phase that is normal to the boundary and extends over a distance comparable to the Rossby radius of deformation. -from Authors