Biogeochemical patterns in the Atlantic Inflow through the Strait of Gibraltar

The effects of tidal forcing on the biogeochemical patterns of surface water masses flowing through the Strait of Gibraltar are studied by monitoring the Atlantic Inflow (AI) during both spring and neap tides. Three main phenomena are defined depending on the strength of the outflowing phase predicted over the Camarinal Sill: non-wave events (a very frequent phenomenon during the whole year); type I Internal wave events (a very energetic event, occurring during spring tides); and type II Internal wave events (less intense, occurring during neap tides).During neap tides, a non-wave event comprising oligotrophic open-ocean water from the Gulf of Cádiz is the most frequent and clearly dominant flow through the Strait. In this tidal condition, the inflow of North Atlantic Central Water (NACW) provides the main nutrient input to the surface layer of the Alboran Sea, supplying almost 70% of total annual nitrate transport to the Mediterranean basin. A low percentage of active and large phytoplankton cells and low average concentrations of chlorophyll (0.3–0.4 mg m⁻³) are found in this tidal phase. Around 50% of total annual phytoplankton biomass transport into the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait presents these oligotrophic characteristics.In contrast, during spring tides, patches of water with high chlorophyll levels (0.7–1 mg m⁻³) arrive intermittently, and these are recorded concurrently with the passage of internal waves coming from the Camarinal Sill (type I internal wave events). When large internal waves are arrested over the Camarinal Sill this implies strong interfacial mixing and the probable concurrent injection of coastal waters into the main channel of the Strait. These processes result in a mixed water column in the AI and can account for around 30% of total annual nitrate transport into the Mediterranean basin. Associated with type I internal wave events there is a regular inflow of large and active phytoplankton cells, transported in waters with relatively high nutrient concentrations, which constitutes a significant supply of planktonic resources to the pelagic ecosystem of the Alboran Sea (almost 30% of total annual phytoplankton biomass transport).     

Fortnightly and monthly variability of the exchange through the Strait of Gibraltar

The fortnightly and monthly variability of the exchange through the Strait of Gibraltar has been studied from two simultaneous five-month long moored datasets, at Camarinal Sill and the East Section. The study focuses on the M_sf and M_m tidal components and their role for the subinertial exchange. A significant monthly signal is observed in the upper layer transport. Also, a significant fortnightly signal is observed in the lower layer transport, which minimum (maximum flow toward the Atlantic) takes place approximately on spring tides. In consequence the net transport has both signals, with maximum taking place during neap tides and a small monthly inequality. Fortnightly and monthly variability in the interface depth is also observed at Camarinal Sill, the interface being deeper on neap and shallower on spring tides. At the East Section the interface depth signals are not significant.The subinertial variability of the transports is separated in two contributions. The first one is called quasistatic transport and arises from the subinertial fluctuations of currents. The second contribution, called tidally rectified transports, arise from the non-linear correlation of currents and interface depth at tidal frequencies. The tidally rectified transports are important at Camarinal but not at the East Section. An apparent contradiction between the fortnightly signals of the subinertial currents and subinertial transports is resolved when the fortnightly signal of the tidally rectified transports are considered. The fortnightly signal of the quasistatic and tidally rectified transports mutually cancel in the upper layer, but not in the lower layer where the rectified transports dominate. A simple model for the spring-tide mixing forcing accounts for the fortnightly variability of the lower layer quasistatic transports but underestimates it for the upper layer. Finally, the observed lower layer transport is compatible with the hydraulic control condition at Camarinal Sill except for certain periods during intense spring tides.     

Morphology and structure of the Camarinal Sill from high-resolution bathymetry: evidence of fault zones in the Gibraltar Strait

The Gibraltar Strait is the very narrow neck which connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The causes and mode of its opening at the end of the Messinian Salinity Crisis are still a matter of debate, and models based on eustatic rise and/or topographic lowering due to either erosion or faulting are generally evoked. We investigated the presence of faults based on a morphological and structural analysis of the Camarinal Sill, the shallowest passage in the Gibraltar Strait (<100 m water depth in places). This sill connects the Spanish and Moroccan shelves, and probably represents a structural high inherited from the Miocene compressive tectonics which took place in the external zones of the Betic-Rif orogenic arc. Our high-resolution bathymetric data enabled us to identify and interpret the origin of major morphological features in the area, including canyons, channels and a landslide, which we name the Tarifa landslide. Topographic arguments suggest that the Camarinal Sill is crossed by two main E-W- to ENE-WSW-directed fault zones which bound areas with different distribution, orientation and slopes of both scarps and crests. We name these the Hercules and Tarik fault zones, north and south of the sill respectively. The Hercules fault zone probably incorporates a normal movement component, whereas kinematic indicators are poor along the Tarik fault zone. The age of faulting is poorly constrained in both cases. Together with existing evidence of faults onland, the presence of these fault zones implies that they could be responsible for, or have contributed to, the opening of the Gibraltar Strait.     

Study of internal wave generation by tide-topography interaction

The generation mechanism of internal waves by a relatively strong tidal flow over a sill is clarified analytically. Special attention is directed to the role of the tidal advection effect, which is examined by use of characteristics. An internal wave which propagates upstream is gradually formed through interference of infinitesimal amplitude internal waves (elementary waves) emanating from the sill at each instant of time. In the accelerating (or decelerating) stage of the tidal flow, the effective amplification of the internal wave takes place as the internal Froude number exceeds (or falls below) unity because during this period the internal wave slowly travels downstream (or upstream) while crossing over the sill where elementary waves are efficiently superimposed. In fact, the variability in the internal wave field actually observed in a realistic situation (Stellwagen Bank in Massachusetts Bay) is shown to be satisfactorily interpreted in terms of this mechanism. Furthermore, by using this analytical model, the relation between the strength of the tidal advection effect and the resulting internal waveform is clarified. This theory is easily extended to include a vertically sheared steady flow. In this case, although the fundamental generation mechanism is the same as above, the amplitude of the elementary wave varies with time depending on the relative direction of the tidal flow and steady shear flow, so that the internal wave field over the sill differs markedly between the ebb and flood tidal phases. As an example, the internal wave generation process over the sill in the Strait of Gibraltar is qualitatively discussed on the basis of this analytical model. The effect of vertical mixing caused by breaking of these large-amplitude internal waves on the coastal environment is also pointed out. In particular, a brief discussion is made on the control of water exchange by the fortnightly modulation of tidal mixing processes at the sills and constrictions in channels connecting freshwater sources with the ocean.     

A numerical study of the generation and propagation of internal solitary waves in the Luzon Strait

A new composite model, which consists of a generation model of the internal tides and a regularized long wave propagation model, is presented to study the generation and evolution of internal solitary waves in the sill strait. Internal bores in the sill strait are first simulated by the generation model, and then the internal tidal field outside of the sill region is given as input for the propagation model. Numerical experiments are carried out to study the imposing tide, depth profile, channel width and shoaling effect, etc., on the generation and evolution of internal solitary waves. It is shown that only when the amplitude of internal tide at the forcing boundary of the propagation model is large enough that a train of internal solitary waves would be induced. The amplitude of the imposing tide in the generation model, shoaling effect, asymmetry of the depth profile and channel width have some effects on the amplitude of the induced internal solitary wave. The imposing tidal flow superimposed on a constant mean background flow has a great damping effect on the induced internal waves, especially on those propagate against the background flow direction. The generation and propagation of internal solitary waves in three possible straits among the Luzon Strait are simulated, and the reasons for the asymmetry of their propagation are also explained.     

Internal tide in the Kara Gates Strait

We observed strong internal tidal waves in the Kara Gates Strait. Internal tides are superimposed over a system of mean currents from the Barents to the Kara Sea. Field studies of internal tides in the Kara Gates were performed in 1997, 2007, and 2015. In 2015, we analyzed data from towed CTD measurements, numerical model calculations, and satellite images in the region. An internal tidal wave with a period of 12.4 h is generated due to the interaction between the currents of the barotropic tide and the bottom relief on the slopes of a ridge that crosses the strait from Novaya Zemlya to the continent. The depths of the ridge crest are 30–40 m. A constant current of relatively warm water flows from the Barents to the Kara Sea. An internal wave propagates in both directions from the ridge. In the Barents Sea, internal waves are intensified by the current from the Barents to the Kara Sea. Internal bores followed by a packet of short-period internal waves are found in both directions from the strait. Satellite images show that short-period internal waves are generated after the internal bore. A hydraulic jump was found on the eastern side of the strait. Numerical modeling agrees with the experimental results.     

Transformation of the Indonesian Throughflow Water by Vertical Mixing and Its Relation to Tidally Generated Internal Waves

Numerical experiments with two-dimensional nonhydrostatic model have been performed to investigate tidally generated internal waves at the Dewakang sill at the southern Makassar Strait where two large-amplitude “bumps” of relatively shallow water exist. We investigate the effect of these features on vertical mixing, with emphasis on the transformation of the Indonesian throughflow (ITF) water properties. The result shows that large-amplitude internal waves are generated at both bumps by the predominant M₂ tidal flow, even though the condition of the critical Froude number and the critical slope are not satisfied. The internal waves induce such vigorous vertical mixing in the sill region that the vertical diffusivity attains a maximum value of 6 × 10⁻³ m²s⁻¹ and the salinity maximum and minimum core layers characterizing the ITF thermocline water are considerably weakened. Close examination reveals that bottom-intensified currents produced mainly by the joint effect of barotropic M₂ flow and internal tides generated in the concave region surrounding both bumps can excite unsteady lee waves (Nakamura et al., 2000) on the inside slopes of the bumps, which tend to be trapped at the generation region and grow into large-amplitude waves. Such generation of unsteady lee waves does not occur in case of one bump alone. Trapping and amplification of the waves in the sill region induce large vertical displacements (∼60 m) of water parcels during one tidal period, leading to strong vertical mixing there. Since the K₁ tidal currents are relatively weak, large-amplitude internal waves causing intense vertical mixing are not generated. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

吐噶喇海峡内潮的能量收支和大小潮变化

吐噶喇海峡是西北太平洋重要的内潮产生区域,该区域内产生的内潮对于东海陆架和西北太平洋的混合和物质输运有十分重要的作用。水平分辨率为3km的JCOPE-T(JapanCoastalOcean PredictabilityExperiment—Tides)水动力学模式的结果表明,吐噶喇海峡的内潮主要产生在地形变化剧烈的海山和海岛附近,其引起的等密面起伏振幅可达30m。吐噶喇海峡的内潮在垂直于等深线方向分为两支向外传播:一支向西北方向传播,进入东海陆架后迅速减小;另一支向东南方向传播,进入西北太平洋。吐噶喇海峡潮能丰富,其在约半个月内的平均输入的净正压潮能通量为13.92GW,其中约有3.73GW转化为内潮能量。生成的内潮能量有77.2%在当地耗散,传出的内潮能通量为0.84GW,主要通过西北和东南两个边界传出。该区域潮能通量有显著的大小潮变化,大潮期间输入的正压潮净能通量和产生的内潮能通量均约为小潮期间的2倍,但其主要产生区域基本不变,且内潮能量耗散比率均在产生的内潮通量的76%—79%。另外,内潮能通量的传播方向也没有发生变化,仍主要通过西北和东南两个边界传出。因此,大小潮的变化仅影响吐噶喇海峡处产生的内潮能量的大小,不影响其产生区域、传播方向和耗散比率。     

On the structure and propagation of internal solitary waves generated at the Mascarene Plateau in the Indian Ocean

Analysis of a comprehensive dataset of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images acquired over the sea area around the Mascarene Plateau in the western Indian Ocean reveals, for the first time, the full two-dimensional spatial structure of internal solitary waves in this region of the ocean. The satellite SAR images show that powerful internal waves radiate both to the west and east from a central sill near 12.5°S, 61°E between the Saya de Malha and Nazareth Banks. To first order, the waves appear in tidally generated packets on both sides of the sill, and those on the western side have crest lengths in excess of 350 km, amongst the longest yet recorded anywhere in the world's oceans. The propagation characteristics of these internal waves are well described by first mode linear waves interacting with background shear taken from the westward-flowing South Equatorial Current (SEC), a large part of which flows through the sill in question. Analysis of the timings and locations of the packets indicates that both the westward- and eastward-traveling waves are generated from the western side of the sill at the predicted time of maximum tidal flow to the west. The linear generation mechanism is therefore proposed as the splitting of a large lee wave that forms on the western side of the sill, in a similar manner to that already identified for the shelf break generation of internal waves in the northern Bay of Biscay. While lee waves should form on either side of the sill in an oscillatory tidal flow, that on the western side would be expected to be much larger than that on the eastern side because of a superposition of the tidal flow and the steady westward flow of SEC. The existence of a large lee wave at the right time in the tidal cycle is then finally confirmed by direct observations. Our study also confirms the existence of second mode internal waves that form on the western side of the sill and travel across the sill towards the east.     

Sea ice evolution and internal wave generation due to a tidal jet in a frozen sea

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of tidal currents on sea ice in Spitsbergen fjords which may cause rapid decrease of the ice thickness due to erosion and melting of the ice. The effect was studied in-situ near the narrow channel connecting the Van Mijen Fjord and Lake Vallunden. The strong jet-like tidal currents in the strait driven by semidiurnal tide continue into the lake preventing ice freezing along a narrow strip during high tide and relatively warm weather. Understanding the formation of open water regions or regions with thin ice is important for the safe transportation on ice. We estimate conditions and representative time over which strong tidal current influences ice thickness along a narrow strip in solid ice. Changes of tidal phase and decrease in air temperature influence freezing of the strip in one-two days. While the tidal flow leaves the strait it overflows a shallow bar and generates internal lee waves propagating downslope and mixing the water. Tidal forcing of internal waves was measured using pressure gauges and by scanning of the ice surface during flood and ebb phases. Internal waves were measured using three types of CTD instruments and an ADCP current meter. The generation of wave packets occurs every tidal cycle when the current flows into the lake, but no generation occurs during the ebb phase of the tide because the currents over the bar slope are low. Parameters of internal waves are estimated. Model simulations confirm generation of internal wave train by the tidal current descending downslope.     

Assessing the west ridge of Luzon Strait as an internal wave mediator

The Luzon Strait is blocked by two meridional ridges at depths, with the east ridge somewhat higher than the west ridge in the middle reaches of the Strait. Previous numerical models identified the Luzon Strait as the primary generation site of internal M₂ tides entering the northern South China Sea (Niwa and Hibiya, 2004), but the role of the west-versus-east ridge was uncertain. We used a hydrostatic model for the northern South China Sea and a nonhydrostatic, process-oriented model to evaluate how the west ridge of Luzon Strait modifies westward propagation of internal tides, internal bores and internal solitary waves. The dynamic role of the west ridge depends strongly on the characteristics of internal waves and is spatially inhomogeneous. For M₂ tides, both models identify the west ridge in the middle reaches of Luzon Strait as a dampener of incoming internal waves from the east ridge. In the northern Luzon Strait, the west ridge is quite imposing in height and becomes a secondary generation site for M₂ internal tides. If the incoming wave is an internal tide, previous models suggested that wave attenuation depends crucially on how supercritical the west ridge slope is. If the incoming wave is an internal bore or internal solitary wave, our investigation suggests a loss of sensitivity to the supercritical slope for internal tides, leaving ridge height as the dominant factor regulating the wave attenuation. Mechanisms responsible for the ridge-induced attenuation are discussed.     

基于调制不稳定性的吕宋海峡内孤立波生成机理探讨

The South China Sea (SCS) is a hot spot for oceanic internal solitary waves due to many factors, such as the complexity of the terrain environment. The internal solitary waves in the northern SCS mainl...     

Infragravity waves with internal wave characteristics in the south of the Bohai Sea of China

The measurements by using ADCP (500 KH) and CTD were made during August 2000 in the south (37°55''N, 120°25''E) of the Bohai Sea, where the water depth was about 16.5m. The data of horizontal velocity with sampling interval of 2 min in 7 layers were obtained. The power spec-trum analysis of these data indicates that there are very energetic infragrvity waves with a period of about 6 min. The coherence spetrum analysis and the analysis of temporal variation of shear show that these infragravity waves are mainly the free wave model (properties of edge waves), in the meantimethey possess some characteristics of internal waves, which are likely due to the distinctive marine environment in this area. It is speculated on that the instability processes (chiefly shear instability) of sheared stratified tidal flow owing to the effect of sea-floor slope in the coastal area might be the main mechanism generating these infragravity waves.     

1998年南海北部20天定点连续观测的内潮分析（英文）

对1998年6月南海北部20天的海流和温度定点连续观测资料进行分析,得到该海域内潮的特征及其能量分布。分析结果显示内潮的主要成分为O1,K1,M2与S2分量,其中全日内潮（O1与K1）的能量占主要部分。在观测期间,此四个分量的海流失量均为顺时针旋转,其潮流椭圆半长轴的最大值超过14cm/s。海水温度的变化显示出内潮存在准日周期振动,平均垂向振幅达到50m。观测到的内潮携带高能量且其活动存在不连续性,在观测范围内,全日内潮的动能及势能密度的最大值分别达到2kJ/m^2及3.5kJ/m^2,半日内潮的动能及势能密度的最大值分别达到1kJ/m^2及1.5kJ/m^2。     

A study of internal solitary waves observed on the continental shelf in the northwestern South China Sea

Based on in-situ time series data from the acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and thermistor chain in Wenchang area, a sequence of internal solitary wave (ISW) packets was observed in September 2005, propagating northwest on the continental shelf of the northwestern South China Sea (SCS). Corresponding to different stratification of the water column and tidal condition, both elevation and depression ISWs were observed at the same mooring location with amplitude of 35 m and 25 m respectively in different days. Regular arrival of the remarkable ISW packets at approximately the diurnal tidal period and the dominance of diurnal internal waves in the study area, strongly suggest that the main energy source of the waves is the diurnal tide. Notice that the wave packets were all riding on the troughs and shoulders of the internal tides, they were probably generated locally from the shelf break by the evolution of the internal tides due to nonlinear and dispersive effects.     

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 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.     

Internal bores in two-layer exchange flows over sills

Internal bores are a common feature of tidally modulated two-layer exchange flows through straits and over sills. Even where the forcing changes smoothly, the flow may adjust with sudden jumps in the position of the interface between the two layers. The resulting flow configuration, with a hydraulically controlled exchange flow (at the sill) coupled with a propagating internal hydraulic jump (known as a bore), is investigated with mathematical models and laboratory experiments. The study concentrates on two-dimensional flow in a rectangular channel with a sill. The parameters considered are the depth of the channel compared to the depth over the sill, the depth of the interface before the passage of the bore and the strength of the net flux through the channel.The theory is based on shallow water equations and hydraulic control theory and includes the effects of a steady net flow through the channel (driven, for example, by the tide). Once the depth of the channel is twice the depth over the sill, further changes in geometry have relatively little effect on the flow. The bore velocity and fluxes are strongly affected by the strength of any net flow. The laboratory experiments model pure exchange flows (with no net flow) and give detailed information about the bores themselves. In many cases an undular bore is produced, with a well-defined wave train on the interface behind the front of the bore. The wavelengths and amplitudes of these internal waves are quantified and a brief comparison with similar internal waves observed in the Strait of Gibraltar is presented.     

Estimation of the transports through the Strait of Gibraltar

An acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) is used to measure the currents and estimate the transports over the Camarinal Sill at the Strait of Gibraltar. The deepest measurements of the ADCP compare well with an underlying conventional current meter. The exchange interface between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean water is defined as the depth of the maximum vertical shear. The mean depth of the shear interface is 147 m. The time series of the depth of the interface and the currents are used to estimate the transports across the Strait. The resulting values are 0.78 Sv for the Atlantic inflow and −0.67 Sv for the Mediterranean outflow. The time series of the shear interface include fortnightly oscillations of 19 m. The time series of the transports are compared with the pressure and sea level difference records across the Strait. Linear multiple regression is used to estimate the (statistical) contribution of each parameter on the variation of transports. The cross strait sea level difference is well correlated with the Atlantic inflow and accounts for 57% of the variability of the transport records which improves to 78% when the fortnightly and monthly cycles are included in the linear regression. The Mediterranean outflow is best correlated with the along strait sea level difference which accounts for only 10% of the variability of the transport record. Again the addition of the M_sf and the MM cycles improves the percentage of the variance accounted for to 37%. The local, along strait wind component is significantly correlated with, both the Atlantic inflow and the across strait sea level difference.     

印度尼西亚海内潮生成及传播过程研究*

文章采用三维海洋模式MITgcm, 对印度尼西亚海(简称印尼海)内潮的生成和传播过程进行了研究。研究结果表明: 1)苏拉威西海和西北太平洋地区的内潮呈现明显的全日潮信号; 望加锡海峡、翁拜海峡、东北印度洋、帝汶海等站位的内潮呈现明显的半日潮信号; 2)印尼海区内潮的标准化振幅在苏拉威西海、望加锡海峡、翁拜海峡、马鲁古海、班达海、东北印度洋和西北太平洋地区均在温跃层附近达到最大, 约为20~40m; 在帝汶海地区在水深200m附近达到最大, 约为25~30m; 3)桑岭、斯兰海、翁拜海峡和帝汶海是主要的内潮生成区域, 内潮能通量达40kW·m^-1; 4)苏禄海的内潮能量主要来自于局地正压潮的转化, 苏拉威西海和班达海的内潮能量则主要来自外部的传入。     

椒江河口层化动力特性研究

基于椒江河口大、小潮期间水位、流速、盐度和悬沙浓度观测数据,研究了椒江河口主潮汐通道的水动力、盐度和悬沙浓度的时空变化特征,解释了高浊度强潮作用下的层化物理机制。椒江河口大潮期悬沙浓度和盐度均大于小潮期,主潮汐通道区域落潮期悬沙浓度大于涨潮期;盐度随潮变化,盐水锋面出现在S2测站,锋面附近出现最大浑浊带;自陆向海,悬沙浓度递减,盐度递增;随水深增加,悬沙浓度与盐度递增。Richardson数与混合参数显示,盐度和悬沙引起的层化现象,是随着潮汐的变化而变化,涨潮时的层化均强于落潮,小潮时的层化持续时间最长,区域更广。混合参数随潮周期变化,大潮期高于临界值1.0,小潮期低于临界值1.0。小潮期水体层化强于大潮期;潮汐应变项是影响势能差异变化率的重要因素;落潮期间层化向混合状态转化,涨潮相反。