A unified model for the generation and fission of internal tides in a rotating ocean

A new two-layer model consisting of generalized Boussinesq equations is derived which contains forcing terms due to barotropic tidal flow over large-amplitude bottom topography. These equations can describe both the generation of nonlinear dispersive internal tides and their disintegration into solitary waves. Special attention is paid to the effects of Coriolis dispersion (which is due to the earth's rotation). Numerical solutions based on observed oceanic conditions show convincingly that the earth's rotation can be a decisive factor at mid-latitudes in that it tends to impede the disintegration of the internal tide. Oceanic observations in the Celtic Sea and in Massachusetts Bay are well reproduced by the model.