In certain regions of the Southern Ocean, tidal energy is believed to foster the mixing of different
water masses, which eventually contribute to the formation of deep and bottom waters. The Ross Sea is one
of the major ventilation sites of the global ocean abyss and a region of sparse tidal observations. We
investigated M2 tidal dynamics in the Ross Sea using a three-dimensional sigma coordinate model, the
Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS). Realistic topography and hydrography from existing observational
data were used with a single tidal constituent, the semi-diurnal M2. The model fields faithfully reproduced
the major features of the tidal circulation and had reasonable agreement with ten existing tidal elevation
observations and forty-two existing tidal current measurements. The differences were attributed primarily to
topographic errors. Internal tides were generated at the continental shelf/slope break and other areas of steep
topography. Strong vertical shears in the horizontal velocities occurred under and at the edges of the Ross Ice
Shelf and along the continental shelf/slope break. Estimates of lead formation based on divergence of
baroclinic velocities were significantly higher than those based on barotrophic velocities, reaching over 10%
at the continental shelf/slope break.
M2 tidal dynamics in the Ross Sea
