Two layer asymptotic model for the wave propagation in the presence of vorticity

Abstract

In the present study, we consider the system of two layers of the immiscible constant density fluids which are modeled by the full Euler equations. The domain of the flow is infinite in the horizontal directions and delimited above by a free surface. Bottom topography is taken into account. This is a simple model of the wave propagation in the ocean where the upper layer corresponds to the (thin) layer of fluid above the thermocline whereas the lower layer is under the thermocline. Though even this simple framework is computationally too expensive and mathematically too complicated to describe efficiently propagation of waves in the ocean. Modeling assumption such as shallowness, vanishing vorticity and hydrostatic pressure are usually made to get the bi-layer shallow water models that are mathematically more manageable. Though, they cannot describe correctly the propagation of both internal and free surface waves and dispersive/non hydrostatic must be added. Our goal is to consider the regime of medium to large vorticities in shallow water flow. We present the derivation of the model for internal and surface wave propagation in the case of constant and general vorticities in each layer. The model reduces to the classical Green-Naghdi equations in the case of vanishing vorticities.