Quasi-periodic waves and quasi-solitary waves in stratified fluid of slowly varying depth

The nonlinear waves in a stratified fluid of slowly varying depth are investigated in this paper. The model considered here consists of a two-layer incompressible constantdensity inviscid fluid confined by a slightly uneven bottom and a horizontal rigid wall. The Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation with varying coefficients is derived with the aid of the reductive perturbation method. By using the method of multiple scales, the approximate solutions of this equation are obtained. It is found that the unevenness of bottom may lead to the generation of so-called quasi-periodic waves and quasisolitary waves, whose periods, propagation velocities and wave profiles vary slowly. The relations of the period of quasiperiodic waves and of the amplitude, propagation velocity of quasi-solitary waves varying with the depth of fluid are also presented. The models with two horizontal rigid walls or single-layer fluid can be regarded as particular cases of those in this paper.Project Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China.