The main objective of this work was to amass didatical material on the horizontal propagation of internal gravity waves within stably stratified oceans. In particular, the presence of turning levels, where the wave frequency locally equals the Brunt-Vaissalla frequency (N) is examined using two distinct models, both using the vertical normal modes technique. The first simulation is numerical and concerns a thermocline in the Faeroe-Shetland Channel extending from (61.29 N, 4.03 E) to (61,40 N, 6,13 E). The second simulation uses a linearly decreasing profile of N² with respect to depth and is solved analytically (except for the eigenvalue calculation) with the classical WKB approximation and use of Airy functions.
Airy functions; normal modes; ocean internal gravity waves; thermocline; WKB method
