Breaking and cascade of internal gravity waves in a continuously stratified fluid

The evolution of a few large scale high frequency standing internal waves confined to a vertical plane is studied numerically. The growth of nonlinear interactions leads to a transfer of energy toward small vertical scales and lower frequencies: the result is a steep energy decrease due to wave breaking. Induced mixing is evaluated. A parametric forcing is also introduced in order to compare with laboratory experiments. Wave breaking also occurs but as opposed to the unforced case different phases are next observed: internal wave growth due to constructive forcing alternate with energy decrease.