Note: Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Tables -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Symbols -- Abbreviations -- Preamble -- 1 General background -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Governing equations: basic assumptions and hypotheses -- Nonadiabatic processes -- Equations for wave disturbances -- Boussinesq approximation -- Approximation of the Coriolis acceleration -- Reynolds equations -- 1.3 Problem formulation: boundary and initial conditions -- Problem formulation -- Boundary and initial conditions -- 1.4 Linear wave equation -- 1.5 Linear boundary value problem and dispersion relation -- 1.5.1 Formulation of the boundary value problem -- 1.5.2 Linear vertical mode analysis -- 1.6 Nonlinear wave problem -- 2 Linear baroclinic tides over variable bottom topography -- 2.1 Analytical solution for "small" bottom features -- 2.1.1 Generation of internal waves by an oscillating tidal flux -- Zeroth-order solution -- First-order solution -- 2.1.2 Scattering of internal waves by a bottom obstacle -- 2.2 Numerical model for large bottom obstacles -- Step 1: Introduction of the grid -- Step 2: Finding the recurrence relation -- Step 3: Upstream procedure -- Step 4: Orthogonalization -- Step 5: Downstream procedure and orthogonalization -- Step 6: Truncation -- 2.3 Wave dynamics over oceanic ridges: applicability of the perturbation method -- 2.3.1 Generation of internal waves -- 2.3.2 Internal wave scattering -- 2.4 Wave dynamics in slope-shelf regions -- 2.4.1 Generation of baroclinic tides -- 2.4.2 Transformation of baroclinic tides -- 2.5 Internal waves near steep bottom topography -- 2.6 Internal waves near the critical latitude -- 3 Combined effect of horizontal density gradient and bottom topography on the dynamics of linear baroclinic tides -- 3.1 Semianalytical two-layer model. , 3.2 Wave characteristics derived from the two-layer model -- 3.2.1 Generation of internal waves -- 3.2.2 Internal wave scattering -- 3.3 Applicability of layer models -- 3.4 Riemann method for a continuously stratified fluid -- 3.5 Propagation of internal waves through a frontal zone -- 3.6 Generation of baroclinic tides in the presence of a frontal zone -- 4 Topographic generation of nonlinear baroclinic tides -- 4.1 Experimental evidence for nonlinear baroclinic tides -- 4.2 Numerical model for the description of nonlinear waves -- First semistep -- Second semistep -- 4.3 Qualitative analysis of the excitation mechanism -- 4.4 Generation mechanism at low Froude numbers: baroclinic tides -- 4.5 Influence of the intensity of the tidal forcing and dissipation -- 4.6 Critical Froude numbers: excitement of unsteady lee waves -- 5 Evolutionary stages of baroclinic tides -- 5.1 Analytical models for the evolution of baroclinic tides -- 5.2 Solitary internal waves as manifestations of the coherent structure of baroclinic tides -- 5.2.1 Long's equation -- 5.2.2 First-order weakly nonlinear theory -- 5.2.3 Second-order weakly nonlinear theory -- 5.3 Structure of large-amplitude solitary internal waves -- 5.3.1 Numerical model for stationary wave solutions -- 5.3.2 Characteristics of large waves -- 5.3.3 Observational evidence of large waves -- 5.4 Interaction of large-amplitude SIWs with bottom topography -- 5.4.1 Scenarios of wave-topography interaction -- Scenario 1: Wave adjustment when aξ /(H . Hξ ) 1 -- Scenario 2: Wave transformation at aξ /(H . Hξ ) 1 -- Scenario 3: Wave breaking at aξ /(H . Hξ ) > -- 1 -- 5.4.2 Strong wave-topography interaction: breaking criterion -- Kinematics of wave breaking -- Breaking criterion -- 5.4.3 Generation of high baroclinic modes by wave-topography interaction -- Experimental setup and measuring technique. , The experiments -- Typical experimental data -- Results of the numerical modeling -- 6 Generation mechanism for different background conditions -- 6.1 Effects related to the rotation of the Earth -- 6.1.1 Barents Sea Polar Front experiment -- 6.1.2 Baroclinic tides -- 6.1.3 Short internal waves -- 6.1.4 Dependence on the rotation of the Earth -- 6.2 Influence of the fluid stratification -- 6.2.1 Variation of the vertical position of the pycnocline -- 6.2.2 Effect of horizontal density gradients -- 6.3 Baroclinic tides over steep bottom features: "mode" and "beam" approaches -- 6.4 Strong high-mode baroclinic response over steep bottom topography -- 6.5 Generation mechanism at large Froude numbers -- 6.6 Summary of generation mechanism -- 7 Three-dimensional effects of baroclinic tides -- 7.1 Influence of wave refraction -- 7.1.1 Observations of SIWs on the Portuguese Shelf -- 7.1.2 Generation of waves at the Oporto Seamount -- 7.1.3 Far-field generation from a shelf edge -- 7.2 Baroclinic tides in narrow channels and straits -- 7.2.1 Modification of the model for straits -- 7.2.2 Dynamics of internal waves in the Skarnsund Strait -- 7.2.3 Residual currents produced by nonlinear waves -- 7.2.4 Experiments on the dynamics of a passive admixture -- References -- Index.