A propagation model for the internal solitary waves in the northern South China Sea

A two-dimensional, regularized long-wave equation model is developed to study the dynamic mechanisms of the propagation and evolution of the internal solitary waves (ISWs) in the northern South China Sea (SCS). It is shown that the bottom topography would cause the polarity reversal of ISWs, the change of the local wave crestline shape, and some diminution in wave amplitude; even if the ISWs are induced at the small sill channel along the Luzon Strait, they could propagate westward with their crestlines covering a large area in the latitudinal direction in the northern SCS. When there are two trains of ISWs propagating from the same source site with a time lag but different amplitudes of initial solitons, the latter train of ISWs with a larger amplitude may catch then swallow the former one with a smaller amplitude, and the wave amplitude of the merged ISW train decreases while the wave number increases. When there are two trains of ISWs propagating from the different source sites at the same time with the same amplitude of initial solitons, the crestlines of the two ISW trains may meet and a new leading soliton is induced at the connection point. Once the ISW trains collide with the island, before the island, a weak ISW train is reflected; behind the island, the former crestlines of the ISW train are torn by the island into two new trains, which may reconnect after passing around the island. The propagation direction, the wave amplitude, and the reconnection point of the new merged ISW train behind the island depend on the relative orientation of the original soliton source site to the island.