Observations of Large-Amplitude Mode-2 Nonlinear Internal Waves on the Australian North West Shelf

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 309-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Rayson ◽  
Nicole L. Jones ◽  
Gregory N. Ivey
Keyword(s):  
Internal Waves ◽  
Large Amplitude ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Local Mode ◽  
Driving Mechanism ◽  
Length Scale ◽  
North West ◽  
Nonlinear Internal Waves ◽  
Mode 2 ◽  
Amplitude Mode

AbstractLarge-amplitude mode-2 nonlinear internal waves were observed in 250-m-deep water on the Australian North West shelf. Wave amplitudes were derived from temperature measurements using three through-the-water-column moorings spaced 600 m apart in a triangular configuration. The moorings were deployed for 2 months during the transition period between the tropical monsoon and the dry season. The site had a 25–30-m-amplitude mode-1 internal tide that essentially followed the spring–neap tidal cycle. Regular mode-2 nonlinear wave trains with amplitudes exceeding 25 m, with the largest event exceeding 50 m, were also observed at the site. Overturning was observed during several mode-2 events, and the relatively high wave Froude number and steepness (0.15) suggested kinematic (convective) instability was likely to be the driving mechanism. The presence of the mode-2 waves was not correlated with the tidal forcing but rather occurred when the nonlinear steepening length scale was smaller than the distance from the generation region to the observation site. This steepening length scale is inversely proportional to the nonlinear parameter in the Korteweg–de Vries equation, and it varied by at least one order of magnitude under the evolving background thermal stratification over the observation period. Despite the complexity of the internal waves in the region, the nonlinear steepening length was shown to be a reliable indicator for the formation of large-amplitude mode-2 waves and the rarer occurrence of mode-1 large-amplitude waves. A local mode-2 generation mechanism caused by a beam interacting with a pycnocline is demonstrated using a fully nonlinear numerical solution.

scholarly journals Resurrecting dead-water phenomenon

2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Mercier ◽  
R. Vasseur ◽  
T. Dauxois
Keyword(s):  
Internal Waves ◽  
Large Amplitude ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Nonlinear Effects ◽  
Stratified Fluid ◽  
Nonlinear Internal Waves ◽  
Induced Drag ◽  
Wave Induced ◽  
Dead Water ◽  
Peculiar Phenomenon

Abstract. We revisit experimental studies performed by Ekman on dead-water (Ekman, 1904) using modern techniques in order to present new insights on this peculiar phenomenon. We extend its description to more general situations such as a three-layer fluid or a linearly stratified fluid in presence of a pycnocline, showing the robustness of dead-water phenomenon. We observe large amplitude nonlinear internal waves which are coupled to the boat dynamics, and we emphasize that the modeling of the wave-induced drag requires more analysis, taking into account nonlinear effects. Dedicated to Fridtjöf Nansen born 150 yr ago (10 October 1861).

Propagation and transformation of nonlinear internal waves of tidal origin observed in the northeastern East China Sea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung-Woo Lee ◽  
SungHyun Nam
Keyword(s):  
East China Sea ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Bottom Topography ◽  
Wave Interaction ◽  
Propagation Speed ◽  
East China ◽  
Modal Interactions ◽  
Nonlinear Internal Waves ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Mode 2

<p>Oceanic nonlinear internal waves (NLIWs) play an important role in regional circulation, biogeochemistry, energetics, vertical mixing, and underwater acoustics, causing hazards to marine engineering and submarine navigation. Mainly generated by the interaction of the barotropic tides with the bottom topography, they propagate and transform due to wave-wave interaction process. Here, we present characteristics of first two modes of NLIWs observed using high-resolution spatiotemporal data collected in a relatively flat area in the northeastern East China Sea in May 2015. Six groups of NLIWs were identified from the observations: four groups of mode-1 and two groups of mode-2. The amplitude, propagation speed, and characteristic width of mode-1 NLIWs had ranges of 4–16 m, 0.53–0.56 m s<sup>-1</sup>, and 310–610 m, respectively. The mode-2 NLIWs propagate eastward slowly with a speed less than 0.37 m s<sup>-1</sup> with a comparable amplitude of 4–14 m and longer characteristic width of 540–1920 m. Intermodal interactions may take a role in the evolution of mode-1 NLIWs west of the observational area. Our results characterizing the two modes of NLIWs highlight the significance of propagation and transformation of NLIWs and their modal interactions on a broad and shallow shelf.</p>

scholarly journals The evolution of mode-2 nonlinear internal waves over the northern Heng-Chun Ridge south of Taiwan

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 413-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Ramp ◽  
Y. J. Yang ◽  
D. B. Reeder ◽  
M. C. Buijsman ◽  
F. L. Bahr
Keyword(s):  
Internal Waves ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Primary Study ◽  
Turbulent Dissipation ◽  
Nonlinear Internal Waves ◽  
Mode 2 ◽  
Sill Depth ◽  
The Waves ◽  
Very High

Abstract. Two research cruises were conducted from the R/V OCEAN RESEARCHER 3 during 05–16 August 2011 to study the generation and propagation of high-frequency nonlinear internal waves (NLIWs) over the northern Heng-Chun Ridge south of Taiwan. The primary study site was on top of a smaller ridge about 15 km wide by 400 m high atop the primary ridge, with a sill depth of approximately 600 m. A single mooring was used in conjunction with shipboard observations to sample the temperature, salinity and velocity structure over the ridge. All the sensors observed a profusion of mode-2 NLIWs. Some of the waves were solitary, while others had as many as seven evenly spaced waves per packet. The waves all exhibited classic mode-2 velocity structure with a core near 150–200 m and opposing velocities in the layers above and below. At least two and possibly three most common propagation directions emerged from the analysis, suggesting multiple generation sites near the eastern side of the ridge. The turbulent dissipation due to overturns in the wave cores was very high at order 10−4–10−3 W kg−1. The energy budget suggests that the waves cannot persist very far from the ridge and likely do not contribute to the South China Sea transbasin wave phenomenon.

scholarly journals Shoaling of large-amplitude nonlinear internal waves at Dongsha Atoll in the northern South China Sea

2012 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke-Hsien Fu ◽  
Yu-Huai Wang ◽  
Louis St. Laurent ◽  
Harper Simmons ◽  
Dong-Ping Wang
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
South China ◽  
Large Amplitude ◽  
Northern South China Sea ◽  
Nonlinear Internal Waves ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Dongsha Atoll

scholarly journals The evolution of Mode-2 nonlinear internal waves over the northern Heng-Chun ridge south of Taiwan

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 243-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Ramp ◽  
Y. J. Yang ◽  
D. B. Reeder ◽  
M. C. Buijsman ◽  
F. L. Bahr
Keyword(s):  
Internal Waves ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Primary Study ◽  
Turbulent Dissipation ◽  
Nonlinear Internal Waves ◽  
Mode 2 ◽  
Sill Depth ◽  
The Waves ◽  
Very High

Abstract. Two research cruises were conducted from the R/V OCEAN RESEARCHER 3 during 5–16 August 2011 to study the generation of high-frequency nonlinear internal waves (NLIW) over the northern Heng-Chun Ridge south of Taiwan. The primary study site, centered near 21°34' N, 120°54' E, was on top of a smaller ridge about 15 km wide by 400 m high atop the primary ridge, with a sill depth of approximately 600 m. The bottom slope was steep over both sides of the ridge, supercritical with respect to both diurnal and semidiurnal tides. The key result of the experiments is that a profusion of mode-2 NLIW were observed by all the sensors. Some of the waves were solitary while others had as many as seven evenly-spaced waves per packet. The waves all exhibited classic mode-2 velocity structure with a core near 150–200 m and opposing velocities in the layers above and below. At least two and possibly three most common propagation directions emerged from the analysis, suggesting multiple generation sites near the east side of the ridge. The turbulent dissipation due to overturns in the wave cores was very high at order 10−4–10−3 W kg−1. The energy budget suggests that the waves cannot persist very far from the ridge and likely do not contribute to the South China Sea transbasin wave phenomenon.

scholarly journals Large amplitude internal solitary waves over a shelf

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Gavrilov ◽  
V. Liapidevskii ◽  
K. Gavrilova
Keyword(s):  
Internal Waves ◽  
Solitary Waves ◽  
Large Amplitude ◽  
Numerical Scheme ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Open Channel ◽  
Internal Solitary Waves ◽  
Open Channel Flows ◽  
Mode 2 ◽  
The Mathematical Model

Abstract. Dynamics of large amplitude internal waves in two-layers of shallow water is considered. It is demonstrated that in laboratory experiments the subsurface waves of depression over a shelf may be simulated by internal symmetric solitary waves of the mode 2 ("lump-like" waves). The mathematical model describing the propagation and decaying of large internal waves in two-layer fluid is introduced. It is a variant of Choi-Camassa equations with hydrostatic pressure distribution in one of the layers. It is shown that the numerical scheme developed for the Green-Naghdi equations in open channel flows may be applied for the description of large amplitude internal waves over a shelf.

scholarly journals Observations of Large-Amplitude Nonlinear Internal Waves from a Drifting Array: Instruments and Methods

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (10) ◽  
pp. 1711-1731 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. R. Centurioni
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Time Scales ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
South China ◽  
Large Amplitude ◽  
The South China Sea ◽  
Nonlinear Internal Waves ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Drifting Buoy ◽  
The Waves

Abstract This paper presents a novel methodology applied to the observation of large-amplitude nonlinear internal waves in the upper ocean from an array of drifting instruments. The characteristics of the instrument used—an Autonomous Drifting Ocean Station with acoustic current profilers (ADOS-A), which is a drifting buoy with a 200-m-long thermistor chain, several profiling acoustic current meters, and a GPS—are discussed. The ADOS-A is lightweight and relatively inexpensive and can be deployed from aircrafts or from ships of opportunity. Three packets of large-amplitude, nonlinear internal waves were observed in the South China Sea. The speed and the direction of propagation of the waves are accurately determined and their characteristics and evolution over space and time scales comparable with those of the waves, as they propagate through the array, are discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document