Nonlinear internal solitary waves observed in laboratory experiments are discussed from the standpoint of their relation to different soliton theories, from the classical integrable models such as the Korteweg–de Vries, Gardner, Benjamin–Ono, and Joseph–Kubota–Ko–Dobbs equations and their modifications, through the nonintegrable models describing higher-order nonlinear effects, viscosity, rotation, and cylindrical spreading, to the strongly nonlinear models. First, these theoretical models are briefly described and, then, laboratory data and their comparison with the theory are presented.
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