Internal tides off the Amazon shelf during two contrasted seasons: Interactions with background circulation and SSH imprints

The Amazon shelf break is a key region for internal tides (IT) generation. The region also shows a large seasonal variation of circulation and associated stratification. The objective of this study is to document how these variations will impact IT generation and propagation properties. A high-resolution regional model (1/36° horizontal resolution), explicitly resolving IT is analyzed to investigate their interactions with the background circulation and stratification, over two seasons: first MAMJJ (March to July), with weaker mesoscale currents, shallower and stronger pycnocline, and second ASOND (August to December) with stronger mesoscale currents, deeper and weaker pycnocline. IT are generated on the shelf break between the 100 and 1800 m isobaths, with a maximum on average at about 10 km offshore. South of 2° N, the conversion from barotropic to baroclinic tide is more efficient in MAMJJ than in ASOND. At the eight main IT generations sites, the local dissipation is higher in MAMJJ (30 %) than in ASOND (22 %). The remaining fraction propagates away from the generation sites and mainly dissipates locally every 90–120 km. The remote dissipation increases slightly during ASOND and the coherent M2 fluxes seem blocked between 4°–6° N west of 47° W. Further analysis of 25 hours mean snapshots of the baroclinic flux shows deviation and branching of the IT when interacting with strong mesoscale and stratification. We evaluated sea surface height (SSH) frequency and wavenumber spectra for subtidal (f < 1/28h−1), tidal (1/28h−1 < f < 1/11h−1) and super tidal (f > 1/11h−1) frequencies. Tidal frequencies explain most of the SSH variability for wavelengths between 300 km and 70 km. Below 70 km, the SSH is mainly incoherent and supertidal. The length scale at which the SSH becomes dominated by unbalanced IT was estimated to be around 250 km. Our results highlight the complexity of correctly predicting IT SSH in order to better observe mesoscale and submesoscale from existing and upcoming altmetrics missions, notably the Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission.

Seasonal and Vertical Variability of Currents Energy in the Sub-Mesoscale Range on the Black Sea Shelf and in Its Central Part

Purpose. The study is aimed at investigating seasonal variability and vertical distribution of the sub-mesoscale currents energy (scales L = 1 … 10 km, T = 1 … 10 days) in the deep and shelf zones of the Black Sea. Methods and Results. The study is based on the spectral analysis of the results obtained from the NEMO model numerical calculations performed with high spatial resolution 1 km. The analysis shows that the seasonal variability of the submesoscale energy is significantly different in deep and shelf zones of the basin. At the same time, in both regions, seasonal variation of energy of the sub-mesoscale currents with scales L < 10 rm (Esp) is in good agreement with that of the density fluctuations on the same scales. In the central part of the sea, the high values of Esp are concentrated in the upper mixed layer throughout the whole year. The Esp peak is observed in winter at the depths 0–40 m, which indicates the important role of baroclinic instability induced by the inhomogeneous distribution of the mixed layer depth (MLD) in the generation of sub-mesoscale processes. At the same time, in February in the central part of the northwestern shelf, an absolute minimum of (Esp) is observed. This minimum is caused by the complete mixing and barotropization of the water column. The Esp maximum values are observed in the shelf in September – October. This is related to the intensification of the brackish water transport from the river mouths by mesoscale eddies. In the autumn period high values of Esp in the shelf and deep part of the basin are observed in the deeper layer, compare to summer months .Variability of the Esp vertical distribution coincides to the time variation of MLD. Variability of the submesoscale energy is of a pulsating character with the short-term intensifications and weakenings. Such variability is significantly related to the passing of the mesoscale fronts and the cross-shelf water transport caused by the eddies and upwellings, which lead to the increase of the baroclinic instability. Conclusions. Analysis of the seasonal and vertical variability of the submesoscale currents in the Black Sea deep and shelf zones evidences about the decisive role of the baroclinic instability triggered mainly by the heterogeneity of MLD on their dynamics.

Seasonal and Vertical Variability of Currents Energy in the Sub-Mesoscale Range on the Black Sea Shelf and in its Central Part

Purpose. The study is aimed at investigating seasonal variability and vertical distribution of the submesoscale currents energy (scales L = 1 ... 10 km, T = 1 ... 10 days) in the deep and shelf zones of the Black Sea. Methods and Results. The study is based on the spectral analysis of the results obtained from the NEMO model numerical calculations performed with high spatial resolution 1 km. The analysis shows that in the areas under investigation, seasonal variability of the sub-mesoscale currents energy is significantly different. At that, in both regions, seasonal variation of energy of the sub-mesoscale currents whose scale is less than 10 km (Esp) is in good agreement with that of the density fluctuations on the same scales. In the central part of the sea, the high values of (Esp) are concentrated in the upper mixed layer throughout the whole year. The (Esp) peak is observed in winter at the depths 0–40 m, which indicates the important role of baroclinic instability (induced by the inhomogeneous distribution of the upper mixed layer during this period) in generation of sub-mesoscale processes in the Black Sea. At the same time, in February in the central part of the northwestern shelf, an absolute minimum of (Esp) is observed due to complete mixing and barotropization of the water column. The (Esp) maximum values are noted in September – October, that is related to intensification of the desalinated water cross-shelf transport from the river mouths being affected by the synoptic eddies. At the same time, in the autumn period in this region, the (Esp) high values are observed in the layer, the thickness of which is higher than that in summer (as well as in the central part of the sea). Dynamics of the (Esp) values distribution corresponds to the time variation of the upper mixed layer thickness. Variability of the sub-mesoscale currents energy is of a pulsating character with the short-term intensifications and weakenings. Such variability is significantly related to passing of the synoptic fronts and the cross-shelf water transport being influenced by the eddies and upwellings, which lead to baroclinic instability of waters. Conclusions. Seasonal and vertical variability of the spectral energy in the Black Sea deep and shelf zones testifies in favor of the decisive role of the water baroclinic instability arising due to heterogeneity of the upper mixed layer.

Global changes in oceanic mesoscale currents over the satellite altimetry record

Oceanic eddies play a profound role in mixing tracers such as heat, carbon, and nutrients, thereby regulating regional and global climate. Yet, it remains unclear how global oceanic eddy kinetic energy has evolved over the past few decades. Furthermore, coupled climate model predictions generally fail to resolve oceanic mesoscale dynamics, which could limit their accuracy in simulating future climate change. Here we show a global statistically significant increase of the eddy activity using two independent observational datasets of mesoscale variability, one directly measuring currents and the other from sea surface temperature. Regions characterized by different dynamical processes show distinct evolution in the eddy field. For example, eddy-rich regions such as boundary current extensions and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current show a significant increase of 2% and 5% per decade in eddy activity, respectively. In contrast, most of the regions of observed decrease are found in the tropical oceans. Because eddies play a fundamental role in the ocean transport of heat, momentum, and carbon, our results have far-reaching implications for ocean circulation and climate, and the modelling platforms we use to study future climate change.

Low-Frequency Surface Currents and Generation of an Island Lee Eddy in Panay Island, Philippines

High-frequency Doppler radar (HFDR) and acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) time-series observations during the Philippine Straits Dynamics Experiment (PhilEx) were analyzed to describe the mesoscale currents in Panay Strait, Philippines. Low-frequency surface currents inferred from three HFDR (July 2008–July 2009), reveal a clear seasonal signal concurrent with the reversal of the Asian monsoon. A mesoscale cyclonic eddy west of Panay Island is generated during the winter northeast (NE) monsoon. This causes changes in the strength, depth, and width of the intraseasonal Panay coastal (PC) jet as its eastern limb. Winds from QuikSCAT and from a nearby airport indicate that these flow structures correlate with the strength and direction of the prevailing local wind. An intensive survey in 8–9 February 2009 using 24 h of successive cross-shore conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) sections, which in conjunction with shipboard ADCP measurements, show a well-developed cyclonic eddy characterized by near-surface velocities of 50 cm s−1. This eddy coincides with the intensification of the wind in between Mindoro and Panay Islands, generating a positive wind stress curl in the lee of Panay, which in turn induces divergent surface currents. Water column response from the mean transects show a pronounced signal of upwelling, indicated by the doming of isotherms and isopycnals. A pressure gradient then is set up, resulting in the spin up of a cyclonic eddy in geostrophic balance. Evolution of the vorticity within the vortex core confirms wind stress curl as the dominant forcing.

The Surface Expression of Semidiurnal Internal Tides near a Strong Source at Hawaii. Part II: Interactions with Mesoscale Currents*

Observations of semidiurnal surface currents in the Kauai Channel, Hawaii, are interpreted in the light of the interaction of internal tides with energetic surface-intensified mesoscale currents. The impacts on internal tide propagation of a cyclone of 55-km diameter and ∼100-m vertical decay scale, as well as of vorticity waves of ∼100-km wavelength and 100–200-m vertical decay scales, are investigated using 3D ray tracing. The Doppler-shifted intrinsic frequency is assumed to satisfy the classic hydrostatic internal wave dispersion relation, using the local buoyancy frequency associated with the background currents through thermal-wind or gradient-wind balance. The M2 internal tide rays with initial horizontal wavelength of 50 km and vertical wavelength of O(1000 m) are propagated from possible generation locations at critical topographic slopes through idealized mesoscale currents approximating the observed currents. Despite the lack of scale separation between the internal waves and background state, which is required by the ray-tracing approximation, the results are qualitatively consistent with observations: the cyclone causes the energy of internal tide rays propagating through its core to increase near the surface (up to a factor of 15), with surfacing time delayed by up to 5 h (∼150° phase lag), and the vorticity waves enhance or reduce the energy near the surface, depending on their phase. These examples illustrate the fact that, even close to their generation location, semidiurnal internal tides can become incoherent with astronomical forcing because of the presence of mesoscale variability. Internal tide energy is mainly affected by refraction through the inhomogeneous buoyancy frequency field, with Doppler shifting playing a secondary but not negligible role, inducing energy transfers between the internal tides and background currents. Furthermore, the vertical wavelength can be reduced by a factor of 6 near the surface in the presence of the cyclone, which, combined with the energy amplification, leads to increased vertical shear within the internal tide rays, with implications for internal wave-induced mixing in the ocean.