Synoptic variability of the currents in the Gotland Basin of the Baltic Sea

The series of long-term observations of synoptic-scale currents obtained by instrumental measurements at the moorings in the Gotland Basin of the Baltic Sea are analyzed. The results of the statistical analysis of the currents reveal their wave structure. The characteristics of the low-frequency waves received on the basis of the cross-spectral analysis show that, in the range of periods from 2 to 20 days, they propagated in the southwestern, southeastern, and northwestern directions with phase speeds of 0.02–2.08 m/s and have lengths from 28 to 431 km. It is suggested that the distinguished wavelike perturbations of the synoptic-scale currents are related to topographic waves. The analysis of the meteorological conditions and the results of the numerical hydrodynamic modeling of the Baltic Sea free low-frequency fluctuations led us to conclude that the most possible mechanism of the generation of the intense wave-like oscillations of synoptic-scale currents in the Gotland Basin is the resonance between the anemobaric forces and the relatively slow-moving anticyclones over the open Baltic Sea and the eigenmode of the basin.     

The influence of quasi resonant internal waves on the radar imaging mechanism of shallow sea bottom topography

During previous field experiments in the North Sea it was often assumed that the water column in such shallow coastal tidal waters is vertically well mixed and stratification was neglected when discussing the Normalized Radar Cross Section modulation caused by the sea floor. In this paper the influence of quasi resonant internal waves with the sea bed on the radar imaging mechanism of submarine sand waves itself is investigated. In situ data of the tidal current velocity and several water quality parameters such as sea surface temperature, fluorescence, and beam transmittance were measured in the Southern Bight of the North Sea in April 1991. Simulations of the total NRCS modulation caused by sand waves and internal waves as a function of the current gradient or strain rate induced by the internal wave current field at the sea surface have been carried out using the quasi-steady approximation and linear internal wave theory. As a first approximation the strain rate depending on stratification was calculated using the two-layer model. These simulations demonstrate that at least a density difference between the two layers of the order of Δρ ≈ 1 kg m^–3 is necessary for a sinusoidal thermocline to effect the total NRCS modulation considerably. The NRCS modulation as a function of wind friction velocity has been calculated independently and is discussed with regard to the strain rate of the surface current field caused by the superimposed imaging mechanisms of sand waves and internal waves. It turned out that the existence of a surface roughness-wind stress feedback mechanism cannot be excluded.     

Synoptic variability of currents in the coastal waters of Sochi

We performed investigations of synoptic variability of bottom and surface currents, the flow rate of the Mzymta River, and the wind speed measured with high resolution (10 min periodicity) in the coastal zone of the city of Sochi in May 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Based on the measurements, a Fourier spectral analysis and harmonic analysis were carried out for both low-frequency and high-frequency components of the variability of the current velocities and wind speed. The analysis revealed a similarity of the structures of the main oscillation periods for the currents in the low-frequency spectrum and significant fluctuation periods for the currents in the high-frequency range. In addition, we studied the internal waves generated by the river plume.     

海南岛莺歌海近岸的潮汐不对称与潮致余流研究

潮汐不对称与潮致余流在河口海岸区的物质输运中扮演着重要角色。已往的研究表明,在驻波占主导的河口海湾中,涨落潮的历时不对称与流速不对称有较为良好的对应关系。而潮致余流主要由地形与潮波的非线性作用所致。本研究以海南岛莺歌海附近为代表,结合实际观测与数值模型,研究复杂地形的开阔近岸区的潮汐不对称与潮致余流。结果表明,在莺歌海近岸区,涨落潮历时不对称皆表现为涨潮历时短于落潮历时,而流速不对称则出现复杂的空间变化。对流速不对称的机制分解表明,研究区的流速不对称主要由K₁、O₁与M₂的相互作用,以及潮余流与各潮汐分潮的相互作用所控制。其中前者产生涨潮流速大于落潮流速的涨潮优势,而后者则与余流的方向相对应,出现多个涨潮优势与落潮优势的区域。总体而言,研究区的流速不对称由余流与各潮汐分潮的相互作用所决定。这表明,采用涨落潮历时的不对称来确定潮汐不对称的方法在开阔近海区可能并不适用。对潮致余流的研究表明,研究区的欧拉余流远大于斯托克斯余流。欧拉余流表现为多个顺时针与逆时针的涡流。涡流分布与地形具有较好的对应关系,潮流沙脊区多发育顺时针涡流,而深槽区则以发育逆时针涡流为主。摩擦力在涡流的发育中起着重要作用。     

胶州湾潮汐潮流动边界数值模拟

基于普林斯顿海洋模式,通过干湿网格判别法引入潮汐潮流的漫滩过程,考虑M₂,S₂,K₁,O₁,M₄和MS₄六个主要分潮,建立了胶州湾潮汐潮流数值模拟和预报模型,研究了该海域潮汐潮流特征,并讨论了漫滩对潮流模拟的影响。与实测资料的对比验证表明,该模式能够对胶州湾的潮汐和潮流做出较为合理的预测。给出了胶州湾潮汐、潮流、余流等分布特征,模拟的潮流场以及余流场涡旋等现象与观测符合良好;计算了潮波能通量,从能量角度探讨了潮波的传播特性;对潮位与潮流场演变规律,以及潮能通量的分析表明,胶州湾内的潮波以驻波为主。通过数值试验发现,漫滩过程的引入对胶州湾潮流速度的模拟至关重要,不考虑漫滩过程的模式会夸大或者低估潮流流速。对于滩涂面积广阔的海域来说,潮流数值模式中考虑漫滩的影响是必要的。     

A numerical study of tidal asymmetry in Okatee Creek,South Carolina

The Okatee River, South Carolina is characterized by a narrow tidal channel and an extensive area of intertidal salt marshes. Current measurements in the upstream portion Okatee Creek show that tidal flow features an asymmetric pattern: ebb current is stronger than flood current. The ebb dominance is mainly caused by deformation of the dominant astronomical tidal constituent M₂. An unstructured grid, finite volume coastal ocean model (FVCOM) with wet-dry point treatment method is applied to examine physical mechanisms of M₄ overtide generation. Model experiments show that mean absolute amplitude and phase errors are 3.1 cm and 1.7^° for M₂ elevation, 2.4 cm s⁻¹ and 0.8^° for M₂ current major axis, 2.1 cm and 1.8^° for M₄ elevation, and 2.1 cm s⁻¹ and 24.6^° for M₄ current major axis. The overall pattern of tidal asymmetry is qualitatively reproduced. Various sensitivity experiments suggest that the generation of M₄ overtide is a result of nonlinear interaction of tidal currents with irregular creek geometry and bottom topography. Consistent with the classical view, the large volume of intertidal water storage is the major reason for ebb dominance in the creek. However, the zero-inertia assumption (i.e., negligible advective terms) is probably not valid for the entire tidal cycle. Besides the pressure gradient force and the bottom friction force, terms related to lateral shear of the along-estuary velocity (i.e., advective inertia and horizontal eddy viscosity) may also contribute in horizontal momentum balance. Exclusion of the flooding-draining processes over the intertidal zone will severely underestimate tidal currents in the river channel and make the tidal asymmetry less prominent.     

Temporal Variability of High Vertical Wavenumber Shear over the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge

Recent numerical studies (Hibiya et al., 1996, 1998, 2002) showed that the energy cascade across the internal wave spectrum down to small dissipation scales was under strong control of parametric subharmonic instabilities (PSI) which transfer energy from low vertical mode double-inertial frequency internal waves to high vertical mode near-inertial internal waves. To see whether or not the numerically-predicted energy cascade process is actually dominant in the real deep ocean, we examine the temporal variability of vertical profiles of horizontal velocity observed by deploying a number of expendable current profilers (XCPs) at one location near the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge. By calculating EOFs, we find the observed velocity profiles are dominated by low mode semidiurnal (∼double-inertial frequency) internal tides and high mode near-inertial internal waves. Furthermore, we find that the WKB-stretched vertical scales of the near-inertial current shear are about 250 sm and 100 sm. The observed features are reasonably explained if the energy cascade down to small dissipation scales is dominated by PSI.     

秦皇岛海域海流特征及规模化养殖对其影响的观测研究

秦皇岛海域是辽东湾与渤海中部及渤海湾进行物质和能量交换的重要通道。本文基于海床基观测平台获取的夏秋季海流连续观测资料,运用调和分析和滤波等方法对该海域的海流特征及其对规模化养殖的响应进行了研究。结果表明:秦皇岛海域最显著的潮流是M₂分潮流,其最大流速介于20.0~36.9 cm/s之间,远小于辽东湾东部海域M₂分潮流最大流速;秋季秦皇岛海域余流流速介于0.2~2.5 cm/s之间,整体上较辽东湾东侧海域余流弱,辽东湾底层可能存在逆时针的弱环流系统;夏季秦皇岛海域M₂和K₁分潮流的最大流速均大于秋季;养殖活动对余流影响较大,养殖区中部A7、A8站余流的垂向平均流速比养殖区边缘A6站分别减小76%和18%左右。     

The high-resolution vertical structure of internal tides and near-inertial waves measured with an ADCP over the continental slope in the Bay of Biscay

ADCP measurements of the velocity structure in the permanent thermocline at two locations over the continental slope in the Bay of Biscay are presented. The vertical variation of the contribution of the inertia-gravity waveband to the kinetic energy, vertical motion, and current shear are analysed. The semi-diurnal tides together with near-inertial waves appear to provide over 70% of the high-frequency kinetic energy (>1/3 cpd). Over the vertical range of the ADCP observations the phase of the harmonic M₂ tide changes up to 155°, while the kinetic energy varies in the vertical by a factor of 3.8, showing the importance of the contribution of internal waves to the observed tidal motion. Both semi-diurnal internal tidal waves and near-inertial waves have a vertically restricted distribution of the variance of the horizontal and vertical velocity, as in internal wave beams. The short-term 14-day averaged amplitude and phase lag of the M₂ tide shows large temporal changes, with a characteristic 40–45 day time scale. These changes are probably related to variations in generation sites and propagation paths of the internal tide, because of changes in the temperature and salinity stratification due to the presence of meso-scale eddies. The relatively large shear in the inertia-gravity wave band, mainly at near-inertial frequencies, supports low-gradient Richardson numbers that are well below 1 for nearly half of the time. This implies that the large shear may support turbulent mixing for a large part of the time.     

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...     

Investigation of the generation and propagation of low frequency internal waves: A case study for the east coast of India

SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) images in the northwest Bay of Bengal indicate the existence of internal waves and their occurrence and intensity is topography dependent as indicated by in-situ data and satellite information. To complement and comprehend the observations, a three-dimensional Princeton Ocean Model is applied to study the generation and propagation of internal waves. The model domain is configured with a variable curvilinear grid and the input fields comprise bathymetry, initial temperature and salinity, wind stress, air-sea heat flux and tidal information. The numerical investigation indicated a predominant activity of internal waves in the north, and the rationale is three-fold. The first one could be the stable stratification due to fresh water discharge from head-bay major river system, secondly, the significant magnitude/range of the tides and finally, the bathymetry in the coastal waters off Paradip is about 12% shallower compared to that of Visakhapatnam and further south. The cumulative effect of these causes the predominance of internal waves in the north. The core of the energy is essentially in the low-frequency range and the model is able to simulate semi-diurnal and diurnal components reasonably well up to 6 h frequency (0.162 cph).     

Tidal boundary layer measurements in the presence of waves

Measurements of tidal current and wave velocity made at 0.69 and 1.85 m above a rough seafloor exhibit large current gradients (boundary layer) in the water column. The logarithmic boundary layer flow model was fitted to the measurements, and thus roughness (z₀) and friction velocity (u^*) parameters were derived. The roughness parameter values were generally consistent with the observed upstream physical roughness. The values of both parameters for conditions in the rough turbulence flow regime are generally larger (much larger for ebb) than earlier published values for similar measurements of currents in the absence of significant waves but are comparable to values from recent measurements of currents in the presence of storm waves. The high parameter values here appear to relate more to the magnitude of the current and to the upstream physical bottom roughness than to the magnitude of the seastate. Large boundary layers in the flow at the seabed have a profound effect on the design of offshore structures such as offshore pipelines.     

Simulation of the impact of internal waves on the oxygen/hydrogen sulphide co-existence zone in the open part of the Black Sea

This paper focuses on the impact of periodic internal waves on the oxygen/hydrogen sulphide co-existence zone in the open Black Sea. The numerical model is based on a set of transport/diffusion equations governing the evolution of oxygen/hydrogen sulphide concentrations and considering the reaction between them. The wave velocity field is determined by solving a spectrum problem for preinertial period internal waves, using the characteristic vertical density profile for summertime. Via analysis of the model data, the influence of wave characteristics on the parameters of the O₂/H₂S co-existence zone has been assessed.Translated by Vladimir A. Puchkin.     

Observations of internal tides in Uchiura Bay

Remarkable tidal currents associated with temperature fluctuations in the subsurface layer have been observed in Uchiura Bay. In order to study the characteristics of these tidal currents, we carried out current measurements in November 1972 and October 1974. It was confirmed from the first set of observations in 1972 that the tidal currents above and below the seasonal thermocline oscillate out of phase with each other and the tidal currents are associated with internal tides.In the second set of observations in 1974 not only current measurements but also serial BT lowerings were made. The phase of the thermocline displacements lagged behind the tidal currents by 81 for the semidiurnal constituent and by 83 for the diurnal constituent, and it is thus concluded that the internal tides in Uchiura Bay behave as standing waves.     

Vertical structure of the M<Subscript>2</Subscript> tidal current in the Yellow Sea

The vertical structure of the M₂ tidal current in the Yellow Sea is analyzed from data acquired using an acoustic Doppler current profiler. The observed vertical profiles of the M₂ tidal current are decomposed into two rotating components of counter-clockwise and clockwise, and restructured using a simple one-point model with a constant vertical eddy viscosity. The analyzed results show that the internal fictional effect dominates the vertical structure of the tidal current in the bottom boundary layer. In the Yellow Sea, the effect of the bottom friction reduces the current speed by about 20–40% and induces the bottom phase advance by about 15–50 minutes. In the shallower coastal regions, the effects of bottom topography are more prominent on the vertical structure of tidal currents. The vertical profile of the tidal current in summer, when the water column is strongly stratified, is disturbed near the pycnocline layer. The stratification significantly influences the vertical shear and distinct seasonal variation of the tidal current.     

南海西北部半日内潮参量次谐频不稳定生成的近惯性波研究

为了研究非临界纬度上参量次谐频不稳定(parametric subharmonic instability,PSI)过程生成的近惯性波(near-inertial wave,NIW),本文基于国家重点研发项目的 准实时传输深海潜标资料,对内波速度谱、近惯性流速和动能、D2-f(半日频减惯性频)流速和动能、半日内潮流速和...     

Is the small-scale turbulence an exclusive breaking product of oceanic internal waves

On the basis of the theoretical research results by the author and the literature published up to date, the analysis and the justification presented in this paper show that the breaking products of oceanic internal waves are not only turbulence, but also the fine-scale near-inertial internal waves (the oceanic reversible finestructure) for inertial waves and the internal solitary waves for internal tides respectively. It was found that the oceanic reversible finestructure may be induced by the effect of the horizontal component f (f = 2Ωcosφ) of the rotation vector on inertial waves. And a new instability of the theoretical shear and strain spectra due to the effect of f occurs at critical vertical wavenumber β c ≈ 0.1 cpm. It happens when the levels of shear and strain of the reversible finestructure are higher than those of inertial waves, which is induced by the effect of f along an "iso-potential-pycnal" of internal wave. If all breaking products of internal waves are taken into account, the average kinetic energy dissipation rate is an order of magnitude larger than the values of turbulence observed by microstructure measurements. The author’s theoretical research results are basically in agreement with those observed in IWEX, DRIFTER and PATCHEX experiments. An important impersonal fact is that on the mean temporal scale of thermohaline circulation these breaking products of internal waves exist simultaneously with turbulence. Because inertial waves are generated by winds at the surface, and internal tides are generated by strong tide-topography interactions, the analysis and justification in this paper support in principle the abyssal recipes Ⅱ:energetics of tidal and wind mixing by Munk & Wunsch in 1998, in despite of the results of microstructure measurements for the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate and the diapycnal turbulent eddy diffusivity.     

Probability distributions of peaks,troughs and heights of wind waves measured in the black sea coastal zone

The present paper examines the adequacy of different probability density functions to describe the peaks, troughs and peak-to-trough excursions of wind waves measured in the coastal zone of the Bulgarian part of the Black sea. For that purpose various theories for non-Gaussian random process are applied. Some theories depend on the mean, variance and coefficient of skewness γ₃ of the process. Others also take the coefficient of kurtosis γ₄ into consideration. The analyzed field data are gathered in the coastal zone of the Bulgarian part of the Black sea with depth decreasing from 18 to 1.3 m. The measurements are carried out simultaneously for 11 points with time series of 20 min duration. The coefficients of skewness and kurtosis in those time series are expressed as functions of depth and spectral peak frequency. Analogous dependencies on depth of other parameters are also found. As a result of the investigation it is concluded that the probabilities of occurrence of large wave crests and heights are underpredicted by all of the theories considered.     

Numerical simulation of three-dimensional tidal current in the Bobal Sea

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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.