A note on lee wave structures in stratified flow over three-dimensional obstacles

Abstract

An experimental study of the spanwise structure of lee waves generated behind a surface mounted obstacle in linearly stratified flow is described. Attention is concentrated, first, on the conditions under which lee wave breaking always occurs and, second, on the rate at which the wave amplitudes decay across the span. Although only one particular body shape was used—one which promoted boundary layer separation in all cases—it is argued that the form of the results should be generally applicable. The data are compared where possible with the implications of linear theory for a circular hill or a long ridge.