The variability of internal tides in the Northern South China Sea

An array of three bottom-mounted ADCP moorings was deployed on the prevailing propagation path of strong internal tides for nearly 1 year across the continental slope in the northern South China Sea. These velocity measurements are used to study the intra-annual variability of diurnal and semidiurna...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of oceanography 2013-10, Vol.69 (5), p.619-630
Main Authors: Ma, Barry B., Lien, Ren-Chieh, Ko, Dong S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Annual variations
Continental slope
Diurnal variations
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Flow velocity
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Marine
Mathematical models
Ocean currents
Oceanography
Original Article
Propagation
Straits
Submarine ridges
Tidal energy
Tidal waves
Tides
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Summary:An array of three bottom-mounted ADCP moorings was deployed on the prevailing propagation path of strong internal tides for nearly 1 year across the continental slope in the northern South China Sea. These velocity measurements are used to study the intra-annual variability of diurnal and semidiurnal internal tidal energy in the region. A numerical model, the Luzon Strait Ocean Nowcast/Forecast System developed at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory that covers the northern South China Sea and the Kuroshio, is used to interpret the observed variation of internal tidal energy on the Dongsha slope. Internal tides are generated primarily at the two submarine ridges in the Luzon Strait. At the western ridge generation site, the westward energy flux of the diurnal internal tide is sensitive to the stratification and isopycnal slope associated with the Kuroshio. The horizontal shear at the Kuroshio front does not modify the propagation path of either diurnal or semidiurnal tides because the relative vorticity of the Kuroshio in Luzon Strait is not strong enough to increase the effective inertial frequency to the intrinsic frequency of the internal tides. The variation of internal tidal energy on the continental slope and Dongsha plateau can be attributed to the variation in tidal beam propagation in the northern South China Sea.
ISSN:0916-8370
1573-868X
DOI:10.1007/s10872-013-0198-0