Global mapping of the nonstationary M2 internal tide using Argo data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaspard Geoffroy ◽  
Jonas Nycander
Keyword(s):  
Internal Tide ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Total Amplitude ◽  
Argo Data ◽  
Global Average ◽  
Average Ratio ◽  
Astronomical Tide ◽  
Global Mapping ◽  
Fixed Phase

<p>Data from Argo floats equipped with Iridium communications are used to obtain a global map of the total amplitude (or variance) of the M<sub>2</sub> internal tide. The results are confirmed by a comparison with the High Resolution Empirical Tide (HRET) model, based on satellite altimetry. While HRET only contains the stationary component, with a fixed phase difference to the astronomical tide, the present results capture the total amplitude, including the nonstationary component. The time scale over which the nonstationary component is decorrelated is also obtained. We estimate the global average ratio of total to stationary semidiurnal internal tide variance to be more than 10. In terms of the ratio of nonstationary to total semidiurnal internal tide variance, the semidiurnal nonstationary variance fraction (SNVF), this translates into a global average ratio of about 90%. The Argo <em>in situ</em> observations provide a valuable ground-truth for the geographical variability of the internal tides. The latter is key to predicting the magnitude and distribution of the mixing that ultimately results from the tides.</p>

scholarly journals Satellite Investigation of Semidiurnal Internal Tides in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 2530
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Zhao ◽  
Zhenhua Xu ◽  
Ming Feng ◽  
Qun Li ◽  
Peiwen Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interference Pattern ◽  
Energy Flux ◽  
Internal Tide ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Band Pass Filter ◽  
Pass Filter ◽  
Sulu Sea ◽  
Tidal Energy Flux

The mode-1 semidiurnal internal tides that emanate from multiple sources in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas are investigated using multi-satellite altimeter data from 1993–2020. A practical plane-wave analysis method is used to separately extract multiple coherent internal tides, with the nontidal noise in the internal tide field further removed by a two-dimensional (2-D) spatial band-pass filter. The complex radiation pathways and interference patterns of the internal tides are revealed, showing a spatial contrast between the Sulu Sea and the Sulawesi Sea. The mode-1 semidiurnal internal tides in the Sulawesi Sea are effectively generated from both the Sulu and Sangihe Island chains, forming a spatially inhomogeneous interference pattern in the deep basin. A cylindrical internal tidal wave pattern from the Sibutu passage is confirmed for the first time, which modulates the interference pattern. The interference field can be reproduced by a line source model. A weak reflected internal tidal beam off the Sulawesi slope is revealed. In contrast, the Sulu Island chain is the sole energetic internal tide source in the Sulu Sea, thus featuring a relatively consistent wave and energy flux field in the basin. These energetic semidiurnal internal tidal beams contribute to the frequent occurrence of internal solitary waves (ISWs) in the study area. On the basis of the 28-year consistent satellite measurements, the northward semidiurnal tidal energy flux from the Sulu Island chain is 0.46 GW, about 25% of the southward energy flux. For M2, the altimetric estimated energy fluxes from the Sulu Island chain are about 80% of those from numerical simulations. The total semidiurnal tidal energy flux from the Sulu and Sangihe Island chains into the Sulawesi Sea is about 2.7 GW.

Disintegration of the K1 internal tide in the South China Sea due to parametric subharmonic instability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Liu ◽  
Zhongxiang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
South China ◽  
Internal Tide ◽  
The South China Sea ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Upper Ocean ◽  
The South ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Parametric Subharmonic Instability ◽  
Critical Latitude

<p>The disintegration of the equatorward-propagating K<sub>1</sub> internal tide in the South China Sea (SCS) by parametric subharmonic instability (PSI) at its critical latitude of 14.52ºN is investigated numerically. The multiple-source generation and long-range propagation of K<sub>1</sub> internal tides are successfully reproduced. Using equilibrium analysis, the internal wave field near the critical latitude is found to experience two quasi-steady states, between which the subharmonic waves develop constantly. The simulated subharmonic waves agree well with classic PSI theoretical prediction. The PSI-induced near-inertial waves are of half the K<sub>1</sub> frequency and dominantly high modes, the vertical scales ranging from 50 to 180 m in the upper ocean. From an energy perspective, PSI mainly occurs in the critical latitudinal zone from 13–15ºN. In this zone, the incident internal tide loses ~14% energy in the mature state of PSI. PSI triggers a mixing elevation of O(10<sup>-5</sup>–10<sup>-4</sup> m<sup>2</sup>/s) in the upper ocean at the critical latitude, which is several times larger than the background value. The contribution of PSI to the internal tide energy loss and associated enhanced mixing may differ regionally and is closely dependent on the intensity and duration of background internal tide. The results elucidate the far-field dissipation mechanism by PSI in connecting interior mixing with remotely generated K<sub>1</sub> internal tides in the Luzon Strait.</p>

Tidal Internal Waves in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Morozov ◽  
Dmitry Frey ◽  
Elizaveta Khimchenko
Keyword(s):  
Internal Waves ◽  
Bottom Topography ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Internal Tide ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
Flat Bottom ◽  
Bransfield Strait ◽  
Vertical Displacements ◽  
Rfbr Grant

<p>Observations of tidal internal waves in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica, are analyzed. The measurements were carried out for 14 days on a moored station equipped with five autonomous temperature and pressure sensors. The mooring was deployed on the slope of Nelson Island (South Shetland Islands archipelago) over a depth of 70 m at point 62°21ꞌ S, 58°49ꞌ W. Analysis is based on the fluctuations of isotherms.  Vertical displacements of temperature revealed that strong internal vertical oscillations up to 30–40 m are caused by the diurnal internal tide. Spectral analysis of vertical displacements of the 0.9°C isotherm showed a clear peak at a period of 24 h. It is known that the tides in the Bransfield Strait are mostly mixed diurnal and semidiurnal, but during the Antarctic summer, diurnal tide component may intensify. The velocity ellipses of the barotropic tidal currents were estimated using the global tidal model TPXO9.0. It was found that tidal ellipses rotate clockwise with a period of 24 h and anticlockwise with a period of 12 h. The waves are forced due to the interaction of the barotropic tide with the bottom topography. Diurnal internal tides do not develop at latitudes higher than 30º over flat bottom. The research was supported by RFBR grant 20-08-00246.</p>

Dissipating and reflecting internal waves

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Callum J. Shakespeare ◽  
Brian K. Arbic ◽  
Andrew McC. Hogg
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Linear Theory ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Energy Flux ◽  
Internal Tide ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Linear Wave ◽  
Lee Waves ◽  
Lee Wave ◽  
Upper Boundary

AbstractInternal waves generated at the seafloor propagate through the interior of the ocean, driving mixing where they break and dissipate. However, existing theories only describe these waves in two limiting cases. In one limit, the presence of an upper boundary permits bottom-generated waves to reflect from the ocean surface back to the seafloor, and all the energy flux is at discrete wavenumbers corresponding to resonant modes. In the other limit, waves are strongly dissipated such that they do not interact with the upper boundary and the energy flux is continuous over wavenumber. Here, a novel linear theory is developed for internal tides and lee waves that spans the parameter space in between these two limits. The linear theory is compared with a set of numerical simulations of internal tide and lee wave generation at realistic abyssal hill topography. The linear theory is able to replicate the spatially-averaged kinetic energy and dissipation of even highly non-linear wave fields in the numerical simulations via an appropriate choice of the linear dissipation operator, which represents turbulent wave breaking processes.

scholarly journals Investigation of the Internal Tides in the Northwest Pacific Ocean Considering the Background Circulation and Stratification

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 3165-3188
Author(s):  
Pengyang Song ◽  
Xueen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Conversion Rate ◽  
Internal Tide ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Northwest Pacific ◽  
Northwest Pacific Ocean ◽  
Baroclinic Tide ◽  
The Northwest Pacific Ocean

AbstractA global ocean circulation and tide model with nonuniform resolution is used in this work to resolve the ocean circulation globally as well as mesoscale eddies and internal tides regionally. Focusing on the northwest Pacific Ocean (NWP, 0°–35°N, 105°–150°E), a realistic experiment is conducted to simulate internal tides considering the background circulation and stratification. To investigate the influence of a background field on the generation and propagation of internal tides, idealized cases with horizontally homogeneous stratification and zero surface fluxes are also implemented for comparison. By comparing the realistic cases with idealized ones, the astronomical tidal forcing is found to be the dominant factor influencing the internal tide conversion rate magnitude, whereas the stratification acts as a secondary factor. However, stratification deviations in different areas can lead to an error exceeding 30% in the local internal tide energy conversion rate, indicating the necessity of a realistic stratification setting for simulating the entire NWP. The background shear is found to refract propagating diurnal internal tides by changing the effective Coriolis frequencies and phase speeds, while the Doppler-shifting effect is remarkable for introducing biases to semidiurnal results. In addition, nonlinear baroclinic tide energy equations considering the background circulation and stratification are derived and diagnosed in this work. The mean flow–baroclinic tide interaction and nonlinear energy flux are the most significant nonlinear terms in the derived equations, and nonlinearity is estimated to contribute approximately 5% of the total internal tide energy in the greater Luzon Strait area.

scholarly journals A parameterization of local and remote tidal mixing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casimir de Lavergne ◽  
Clément Vic ◽  
Gurvan Madec ◽  
Fabien Roquet ◽  
Amy Waterhouse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Internal Tide ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Tidal Mixing ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Energy Conserving ◽  
Energy Constrained ◽  
Lagrangian Tracking

<p>Vertical mixing is often regarded as the Achilles’ heel of ocean models. In particular, few models include a comprehensive and energy-constrained parameterization of mixing by internal ocean tides. Here, we present an energy-conserving mixing scheme which accounts for the local breaking of high-mode internal tides and the distant dissipation of low-mode internal tides. The scheme relies on four static two-dimensional maps of internal tide dissipation, constructed using mode-by-mode Lagrangian tracking of energy beams from sources to sinks. Each map is associated with a distinct dissipative process and a corresponding vertical structure. Applied to an observational climatology of stratification, the scheme produces a global three-dimensional map of dissipation which compares well with available microstructure observations and with upper-ocean finestructure mixing estimates. Implemented in the NEMO global ocean model, the scheme improves the representation of deep water-mass transformation and obviates the need for a constant background diffusivity.</p>

scholarly journals Global Observations of Open-Ocean Mode-1 M2 Internal Tides

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 1657-1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongxiang Zhao ◽  
Matthew H. Alford ◽  
James B. Girton ◽  
Luc Rainville ◽  
Harper L. Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Energy Loss ◽  
Internal Tide ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Open Ocean ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Global Integration ◽  
Tidal Waves ◽  
Topographic Features ◽  
Midocean Ridges ◽  
The Pacific

AbstractA global map of open-ocean mode-1 M2 internal tides is constructed using sea surface height (SSH) measurements from multiple satellite altimeters during 1992–2012, representing a 20-yr coherent internal tide field. A two-dimensional plane wave fit method is employed to 1) suppress mesoscale contamination by extracting internal tides with both spatial and temporal coherence and 2) separately resolve multiple internal tidal waves. Global maps of amplitude, phase, energy, and flux of mode-1 M2 internal tides are presented. The M2 internal tides are mainly generated over topographic features, including continental slopes, midocean ridges, and seamounts. Internal tidal beams of 100–300 km width are observed to propagate hundreds to thousands of kilometers. Multiwave interference of some degree is widespread because of the M2 internal tide’s numerous generation sites and long-range propagation. The M2 internal tide propagates across the critical latitudes for parametric subharmonic instability (28.8°S/N) with little energy loss, consistent with the 2006 Internal Waves across the Pacific (IWAP) field measurements. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, the M2 internal tide loses significant energy in propagating across the equator; in contrast, little energy loss is observed in the equatorial zones of the Atlantic, Indian, and western Pacific Oceans. Global integration of the satellite observations yields a total energy of 36 PJ (1 PJ = 1015 J) for all the coherent mode-1 M2 internal tides. Finally, satellite observed M2 internal tides compare favorably with field mooring measurements and a global eddy-resolving numerical model.

scholarly journals Internal-tide generation and destruction by shoaling internal tides

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (23) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Kelly ◽  
J. D. Nash
Keyword(s):  
Internal Tide ◽  
Internal Tides

Internal tide generation due to topographically adjusted barotropic tide

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos Papoutsellis ◽  
Matthieu Mercier ◽  
Nicolas Grisouard
Keyword(s):  
Energy Flux ◽  
Internal Tide ◽  
Boussinesq Approximation ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Field Energy ◽  
Barotropic Tide ◽  
Good Convergence ◽  
Ambient Flow ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Variable Topography

<p>We model internal tides generated by the interaction of a barotropic tide with variable topography. For the barotropic part, an asymptotic solution valid over the variable topography is considered. The resulting non-uniform ambient flow is used as a prescribed barotropic forcing for the baroclinic equations (linearized, non-hydrostatic, Euler equations within the Boussinesq approximation).</p><p>The internal-tide generation problem is reformulated by means of a Coupled-Mode System (CMS) based on the decomposition of the baroclinic stream function in terms of vertical basis functions that consistently satisfy the bottom boundary condition. The proposed CMS is solved numerically with a finite difference scheme and shows good convergence properties, providing efficient calculations of internal tides due to 2D topographies of arbitrary height and slope. We consider several seamounts and shelf profiles and perform calculations for a wide range of heights and slopes. Our results are compared against existing analytical estimates on the far-field energy flux in order to examine the limit of validity of common simplifications (Weak Topography Approximation, Knife edge). For subcritical cases, local extrema of the energy flux exist for different heights. Non-radiating topographies are also identified for some profiles of large enough heights. For supercritical cases, the energy flux is in general an increasing function with increasing height and criticality, and does not compare well against analytical results for very steep idealized topographies. The effect of the adjusted barotropic tide in the energy flux and the local properties of the baroclinic field is investigated through comparisons with other semi-analytical methods based on a uniform barotropic tide (Green’s function approach).  A method for estimating the sea-surface signature of internal tides is also provided.</p>

Seasonal variations of mode-1 M2 internal tides observed by satellite altimetry

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongxiang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Internal Tide ◽  
Spatial Filtering ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Mapping Technique ◽  
Phase Variable ◽  
Model Errors ◽  
Tropical Zone ◽  
Variable Amplitude

<p>The seasonal variations of M<sub>2</sub> internal tides is investigated using 25 years of satellite altimetric sea surface height measurements from 1992--2017. The satellite data are divided into four seasonal subsets, from which four seasonal M<sub>2</sub> internal tide models are constructed. This study employs a new mapping technique that combines along-track spatial filtering, harmonic analysis, plane wave analysis, and two-dimensional spatial filtering. The vector mean of the four seasonal models yields the seasonal-mean model, which is equivalent to the 25-year-coherent model constructed directly using all the data. The seasonal models have larger errors than the seasonal-mean model, because the seasonally-subsetted data sets are short. Two seasonally-variable models are derived: The first model is a step function of the four seasonal models (phase-variable, amplitude-variable); The second model is same as the first one but that the amplitude is from the seasonal-mean model (phase-variable, amplitude-invariable). All these models are evaluated using independent CryoSat-2 data. Each seasonal model reduces most variance in its own season and least variance in its opposite season. Based on globally-integrated variance reductions, the two seasonally-variable models reduce 13% and 23% more variance than the seasonal models, respectively. The seasonal-mean model can reduce 27% more variance, thanks to its small model errors. However, the seasonally-variable models are better than the seasonal-mean model in the tropical zone, where the seasonal signals are larger than model errors. The satellite results reveal that M<sub>2</sub> internal tides are subject to seasonal variation in varying degrees and that the seasonal variation is a function of location. Large variations in amplitude and phase mainly occur in the tropical zone. The seasonal phase variations are mainly caused by the seasonal variations of ocean stratification and internal tide speed. Significant amplitude variations are usually associated with strong internal tides such as from the Luzon and Lombok Straits, and in the Amazon River plume, the western Pacific and the Arabian Sea. At higher latitudes such as the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, the seasonal variations are weak but detectable. The seasonally-variable models can partly account for the seasonal variations of internal tides, in particular, in the tropical zone.  A major challenge is the large model errors, which will be further reduced with the accumulation of new altimeter missions and data (e.g., SWOT).</p>

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