The Equation of Undular bore: Formation and Effects

“Undular bore” that is also known as Atmospheric Gravity Waves, is an event that occurs when a fluid or a gas is disturbed suddenly. It gives rise to a series of oscillations that propagate and spread. This kind of occurrence happens in various things like water waves and Plasma that are made-up of ionized gases with positively and negatively charged free particles. The same kind of situation occurs in our atmosphere.

We can see the Undular Waves through the amazing cloud formations. Usually low-level atmospheric stability is involved in the formation of Undular bores.  A new kind of equation has been formulated to understand what happens when an Undular bore occurs and spreads within two axes. When two air masses of different temperatures collide the Undular bores are formed. When a low level boundary such as a cold front or outflow boundary approaches a layer of cold, balanced and steady air, it causes disturbance in the atmosphere and produces a wave-like force, known as a gravity wave.

At first time in the 1960s, mathematician Gerald B. Whitham attempted to describe Undular bores. Since then research is continued to know its cause and effects. Researchers used the equations to study Undular bores whose wave height varies along only one of the two directions and still trying to apply the equations in distinguishing undular bores whose wave height changes along both axes.

Content: www.sciencedaily.com

By: Anita Aishvarya