Journal
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Volume 43, Issue 1, Pages 17-28Publisher
AMER METEOROLOGICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1175/JPO-D-11-0108.1
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- NSF [OCE 04-25283]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Observational evidence is presented for transfer of energy from the internal tide to near-inertial motions near 29 degrees N in the Pacific Ocean. The transfer is accomplished via parametric subharmonic instability (PSI), which involves interaction between a primary wave (the internal tide in this case) and two smaller-scale waves of nearly half the frequency. The internal tide at this location is a complex superposition of a low-mode waves propagating north from Hawaii and higher-mode waves generated at local seamounts, making application of PSI theory challenging. Nevertheless, a statistically significant phase locking is documented between the internal tide and upward-and downward-propagating near-inertial waves. The phase between those three waves is consistent with that expected from PSI theory. Calculated energy transfer rates from the tide to near-inertial motions are modest, consistent with local dissipation rate estimates. The conclusion is that while PSI does befall the tide near a critical latitude of 29 degrees N, it does not do so catastrophically.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available