Generation and propagation of internal tides and solitary waves at the shelf edge of the Bay of Biscay

High‐frequency mooring data were collected near the northern shelf edge of the Bay of Biscay to investigate the generation and propagation of internal tides and internal solitary waves (ISWs). During spring tide, strong nonlinear internal tides and large amplitude ISWs are observed every semidiurnal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of geophysical research. Oceans 2015-10, Vol.120 (10), p.6603-6621
Main Authors: Xie, X. H., Cuypers, Y., Bouruet-Aubertot, P., Pichon, A., Lourenço, A., Ferron, B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advection
barotropic advection
Barotropic mode
Barotropic tides
Bay of Biscay
Computer simulation
Diurnal variations
Geophysics
internal solitary wave
Internal tides
Internal waves
Marine
Mathematical models
Mooring
Mooring systems
Nonlinearity
Ocean currents
Ocean, Atmosphere
Offshore
Propagation
Sciences of the Universe
Shelf edge
Solitary waves
Spring tides
Tidal dynamics
Tidal energy
Tidal power
Tides
Wave generation
Wave propagation
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Summary:High‐frequency mooring data were collected near the northern shelf edge of the Bay of Biscay to investigate the generation and propagation of internal tides and internal solitary waves (ISWs). During spring tide, strong nonlinear internal tides and large amplitude ISWs are observed every semidiurnal tidal period. While onshore propagation was expected since the mooring is located shoreward of the maximum internal tidal generation location, both onshore and seaward traveling internal tides are identified. Within a tidal period at spring tide, three ISW packets are observed. Like internal tides, different ISW packets have opposite (seaward and shoreward) propagating direction. Based on realistic hydrostatic HYCOM simulations, it is suggested that advection by the barotropic tide affects wave generation and propagation significantly and is essential for the seaward traveling internal tides to appear shoreward of their generation location. A two‐layer idealized nonhydrostatic model derived by Gerkema (1996) further confirms the effect of advection on the generation and propagation of internal tides. Moreover, the two‐layer model reproduces one seaward propagating ISW packet and one shoreward propagating ISW packet, indicating that the offshore and onshore traveling ISWs are excited by nonlinear steepening of the seaward and shoreward traveling internal tides, respectively. Key Points: Onshore and offshore traveling internal tides and solitary waves are observed Numerical models reproduce observed internal tides and solitary waves Advection affects generation and propagation of internal tide and solitary wave
ISSN:2169-9275
2169-9291
DOI:10.1002/2015JC010827