Long lived second mode internal solitary waves in the Andaman Sea

Internal waves are density oscillations propagating along the ocean’s inner stratification, which are now acknowledged as a key constituent of the ocean’s dynamics. They usually result from barotropic tides, which flow over bottom topography, causing density oscillations to propagate along the pycno...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2020-06, Vol.10 (1), p.10234-10234, Article 10234
Main Authors: Magalhaes, J. M., da Silva, J. C. B., Buijsman, M. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
639/766
704/829
Bathymetry
Humanities and Social Sciences
Internal waves
Mathematical models
multidisciplinary
Nature
Oscillations
Propagation
Pycnoclines
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Simulation
Solitary waves
Tides
Water column
Waves
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Summary:Internal waves are density oscillations propagating along the ocean’s inner stratification, which are now acknowledged as a key constituent of the ocean’s dynamics. They usually result from barotropic tides, which flow over bottom topography, causing density oscillations to propagate along the pycnocline with a tidal frequency (i.e. internal tides). These large-scale waves propagate away from their forcing bathymetry and frequently disintegrate into nonlinear short-scale (higher-frequency) internal wave packets. Typically, short-scale internal wave observations in the ocean are associated with vertical structures (in the water column) of the lowest fundamental mode. Higher vertical modes have recently been documented as well, but these are commonly short-lived (up to a few hours). However, unprecedented satellite images showing long-lived short-scale mode-2 internal waves have now been documented in the Andaman Sea, and we report here the companion results of a non-hydrostatic and fully nonlinear numerical model. The simulations reproduce the waves’ main characteristics as observed in satellite imagery, and the results suggest a resonant coupling with a larger-scale mode-4 internal tide as an explanation for their long-lived character.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-66335-9