Internal Wave Breaking at Variable Topographic Slopes

Several recent observational, numerical and theoretical studies indicate that internal tides created by tidal flow over topography have most of their energy in relatively low vertical modes, with insufficient associated shear to lead to significant mixing. Further interactions between the tidally generated internal waves and topography are necessary to transfer energy to smaller vertical scales. Here results of numerical simulations are presented, examining mixing generated by internal wave reflection from variable topographic slopes, including concave and convex slopes near the critical angle, and corrugated slopes.

[1]  J. Toole,et al.  Internal Tide Reflection and Turbulent Mixing on the Continental Slope , 2004 .

[2]  J. Wells.  A laboratory study of localized boundary mixing in a rotating stratified fluid , 2003, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[3]  S. Legg.  Internal Tides Generated on a Corrugated Continental Slope. Part II: Along-Slope Barotropic Forcing* , 2004 .

[4]  Sonya Legg,et al.  Internal Wave Breaking at Concave and Convex Continental Slopes , 2003 .

[5]  L. St. Laurent,et al.  Estimating tidally driven mixing in the deep ocean , 2002 .

[6]  L. S. Laurent,et al.  The Role of Internal Tides in Mixing the Deep Ocean , 2002 .

[7]  S. Thorpe.  Internal Wave Reflection and Scatter from Sloping Rough Topography , 2001 .

[8]  G. Ivey,et al.  Turbulent mixing in a sloping benthic boundary layer energized by internal waves , 2000, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[9]  G. D. Egbert,et al.  Significant dissipation of tidal energy in the deep ocean inferred from satellite altimeter data , 2000, Nature.

[10]  P. Müller,et al.  Scattering of Internal Waves at Finite Topography in Two Dimensions. Part I: Theory and Case Studies , 2000 .

[11]  W. Munk,et al.  Abyssal recipes II: energetics of tidal and wind mixing , 1998 .

[12]  J. Riley,et al.  Turbulent mixing in the oceanic boundary layer caused by internal wave reflection from sloping terrain , 1996 .

[13]  Chris Garrett,et al.  Implications for Ocean Mixing of Internal Wave Scattering off Irregular Topography , 1989 .

[14]  Roger Nokes,et al.  Vertical mixing due to the breaking of critical internal waves on sloping boundaries , 1989, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[15]  C. Eriksen.  Implications of Ocean Bottom Reflection for Internal Wave Spectra and Mixing , 1985 .

[16]  J. Crease.  The Dynamics of the Upper Ocean , 1967 .