On generation source sites of internal waves in the Luzon Strait

This effort aims to determine the generation source sites in the Luzon Strait for energetic, long-crest, transbasin internal waves （IW） observed in the northern South China Sea （NSCS）. The roles of islands distributed on eastern side of the strait, Kuroshio, submarine ridges, shoaling thennocline, and strait configuration played in the IW generation are examined using the cruise data analysis, satellite data interpretation, and dynamical analysis. The islands and channels on eastern side of the strait are excluded from a list of possible IW source sites owing to their unmatched horizontal dimensions to the scale of IW crest line length, and the relative low Reynolds number. The Kuroshio has a potential to be a radiator for the long-crest IW disturbances, meanwhile, the Kurosbio west （east） wing absorbs the eastward （westward） propagating IW disturbance. Namely, the Kuroshio blockades the outside west-east propagating IW disturbances. The 3-D configuration of the Luzon Strait is characterized by a sudden, more than one order widening of the cross-section areas at the outlets on both sides, providing a favorable condition for IW type initial disturbance formation. In the Luzon Strait, the thermocline is featured by a westward shoaling all the year around, providing the dynamical conditions for the amplitude growth （declination） to the westward （eastward） propagating IW type disturbance. Thus, the west slope of western submarine ridge at the western outlet of the Luzon Strait is a high possibility source sites for energetic, long-crest, transbasin IWs in the NSCS. The interpretation results of satellite SAR images during a 13 a period from 1995 to 2007 provide the convincing evidence for the conclusions.     

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...     

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.     

ON generation source sites of internal in the Luzon strait

This effort aims to determine the generation source sites in the Luzon Strait for energetic, long-crest, transbasin internal waves (IW) observed in the northern South China Sea (NSCS). The roles of islands distributed on eastern side of the strait, Kuroshio, submarine ridges, shoaling thermocline, and strait configuration played in the IW generation are examined using the cruise data analysis, satellite data interpretation, and dynamical analysis. The islands and channels on eastern side of the strait are excluded from a list of possible IW source sites owing to their unmatched horizontal dimensions to the scale of IW crest line length, and the relative low Reynolds number. The Kuroshio has a potential to be a radiator for the long-crest IW disturbances, meanwhile, the Kuroshio west (east) wing absorbs the eastward (westward) propagating IW disturbance. Namely, the Kuroshio blockades the outside west-east propagating IW disturbances. The 3-D configuration of the Luzon Strait is characterized by a sudden, more than one order widening of the cross-section areas at the outlets on both sides, providing a favorable condition for IW type initial disturbance formation. In the Luzon Strait, the thermocline is featured by a westward shoaling all the year around, providing the dynamical conditions for the amplitude growth (declination) to the westward (eastward) propagating IW type disturbance. Thus,the west slope of western submarine ridge at the western outlet of the Luzon Strait is a high possibility source sites for energetic,long-crest, transbasin Iws in the NSCS. The interpretation results of satellite SAR images during a 13 a period from 1995 to 2007 provide the convincing evidence for the conclusions.     

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.     

南海北部a波和b波的生成与传播特征的数值研究

本文基于真实地形、潮汐的高分辨率三维MITgcm海洋环流模式,对南海北部a波（大振幅波列形式）和b波（孤立子形式）的生成与传播特征进行了数值研究。首先,我们总结和分析了这些波动的生成与传播特征。然后我们计算了吕宋海峡的能量收支。能量的生成在一天内有三个极大值,其中最大值对应a波的生成。吕宋海峡西边界的能通量一天内有两个极大值,较大的那个对应a波的生成而另一个对应b波的生成。我们设计了敏感性试验来探究吕宋海峡东西海脊对a、b波的生成和传播造成的影响。通过对比敏感性实验和标准试验的结果,发现对于a波的生成东海脊必不可少,但西海脊几乎没有影响。西海脊削弱了a波的振幅但未对a波波速造成明显的影响。b波来自于从东海脊生成的扰动信号。西海脊加强了这个扰动信号但减慢了它的传播速度。     

Numerical study of M2 internal tide generation and propagation in the Luzon Strait

Based on the z-coordinate ocean model HAMSOM,we introduced the internal-tide viscosity term and applied the model to numerically investigate the M2 internal tide generation and propagation in the Luzon Strait (LS).The results show that (1) in the upper 250 m depth,at the thermocline,the maximum amplitude of the generated internal tides in the LS can reach 40 m;(2) the major internal tides are generated to the northwest of Itbayat Island,the southwest of Batan Island and the northwest of the Babuyan Islands;(3) during the propagation the baroclinic energy scattering and reflection is obvious,which exists under the effect of the specific topography in the South China Sea (SCS);(4) the westward-propagating internal tides are divided into two branches entering the SCS.While passing through 118 E,the major branch is divided into two branches again.The strongest internal tides in the LS are generated to the northwest of Itbayat Island and propagate northeastward to the Pacific.However,to the east of 122 E,most of the internal tides propagate southeastward to the Pacific as a beam.     

吕宋海峡M2内潮的三维数值模拟

A three-dimensional isopycnic-coordinate internal tidal model is employed to investigate the generation,propagation, vertical structure and energy conversion of M2 internal tides in the Luzon Strait(LS) with mooring observations. Simulated results, especially the tidal current amplitudes, agree well with observations,demonstrating the reasonability and accuracy of the model. Results indicate that M2 internal tides mainly propagate into three directions horizontally, i.e., eastward towards the western Pacific Ocean, westward towards the Dongsha Island and southwestward towards the South China Sea Basin. In the horizontal direction, tidal current amplitudes decrease as distance increases away from the LS; in the vertical direction, they show an obvious decreasing tendency with depth. Between the double ridges of the LS, a clockwise gyre of M2 baroclinic energy flux appears, which is caused by reflections of M2 internal tides at supercritical topographies, and resonance of M2 internal tides happens along 19.5° and 21.5°N due to the heights and separation distance of the double ridges. The total energy conversion in the LS is about 14.20 GW.     

Mooring observations of internal solitary waves in the deep basin west of Luzon Strait

A total of 137 internal solitary waves （ISWs） are captured during a field experiment conducted in the deep basin west of the Luzon Strait （LS） from March to August, 2010. Mooring observations reveal that a fully developed ISW owns a maximum westward velocity of more than 1.8 m/s and an amplitude of about 200 m. The ISWs in the South China Sea （SCS） are most active in July, which may be due to the strong stratification in summer. Most of the ISW episodes are detected around and after the 1st or 15th lunar day, indicating that the ISW in the SCS is triggered by astronomic tides. Half part of the observed ISWs were detected around 19：00 local time, which can be explained by the fact that type-a ISWs emerged in the evening at roughly the same time each day. The propagation direction of the ISWs and the astronomic tides in the LS show that the area south of the Batan Island is probably the main source region of the type-a ISWs, while the area south of Itbayat Island and south of the Batan Island is likely the main source region of the type-b ISWs observed at the mooring. Moreover, for the resonance of semidiurnal internal tides emitting from the double ridges in the LS, the underwater ridge south of the Itbayat Island and south of the Batan Island is believed to favor the generation of the energetic ISWs.     

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.     

吕宋海峡內潮的季节变化特征及其对背景流的响应研究

基于2008年秋季至2009年夏季共9个月的锚定潜标流速资料,分析了吕宋海峡西南內潮的时空特征.谱分析结果显示,该观测点全日內潮和半日內潮较为显著,尤其体现在顺时针旋转部分.除春季第二模态占优外,全日內潮主在其余三个季节均以第一模态为主,而半日內潮呈现变化的多模态结构.此外,全日內潮的动能具有明显的季节差异,冬季能量最强,夏季紧随其后,而在春、秋两季能量最小.通过分析发现,非相干运动对此季节性特征起主要作用,它反映了內潮与背景场的相互作用.然而,半日內潮却没有显著的季节性差异,而且能量较全日內潮更小,尤其在冬季,只有全日內潮动能的三分之一.同时,半日內潮的不规则变化也是与多变的背景场相关的.半日內潮的非相干部分占到了半日內潮总能量的37%左右,而全日內潮更小一些,只有22.2%.     

基于哨兵一号和高分三号卫星SAR数据的马六甲海峡内孤立波特性研究

漫长狭窄的马六甲海峡是重要的航道,研究该海峡内孤立波特征对潜艇、船只航行和海洋工程都是急需解决的问题。利用高空间分辨率的哨兵1号（Sentinel-1）和高分三号（GF-3）SAR遥感数据,对马六甲海峡的内孤立波特征开展了详细研究。利用哨兵一号2015年6月到2016年12月20景有内孤立波的SAR图像和高分三号2018年4月到2019年3月24景有内孤立波的SAR图像,统计分析了马六甲海峡海域的内孤立波空间分布特征。发现内孤立波多以内孤立波包以及单根内孤立波形式出现,内孤立波头波的波峰线最长可达39km。采用高阶非线性薛定谔方程反演模型可以计算出内孤立波的振幅与群速度,计算得到的内孤立波振幅和波包的传播群速度分别为4.7m ~ 23.9m和0.12m/s ~ 0.40m/s。由KdV方程得到的单根内孤立波的相速度为0.26m/s ~ 0.60m/s。可以得到,马六甲海峡内孤立波的振幅与传播速度与地形密切相关。     

Effects of westward shoaling pycnocline on characteristics and energetics of internal solitary wave in the Luzon Strait by numerical simulations

An internal gravity wave model was employed to simulate the generation of internal solitary waves(ISWs) over a sill by tidal flows. A westward shoaling pycnocline parameterization scheme derived from a three-parameter model was adopted, and then 14 numerical experiments were designed to investigate the influence of the pycnocline thickness, density difference across the pycnocline, westward shoaling isopycnal slope angle and pycnocline depth on the ISWs. When the pycnocline thickness on both sides of the sill increases, the total barotropic kinetic energy, total baroclinic energy and ratio of baroclinic kinetic energy(KE) to available potential energy(APE) decrease, whilst the depth of isopycnal undergoing maximum displacement and ratio of baroclinic energy to barotropic energy increase. When the density difference on both sides of the sill decreases synchronously, the total barotropic kinetic energy, ratio of baroclinic energy to barotropic energy and total baroclinic energy decrease, whilst the depth of isopycnal undergoing maximum displacement increases. When the westward shoaling isopycnal slope angle increases, the total baroclinic energy increases whilst the depth of turning point almost remains unchanged. When the depth of westward shoaling pycnocline on both sides of the sill reduces, the ratio of baroclinic energy to barotropic energy and total baroclinic energy decrease, whilst the total barotropic kinetic energy and ratio of KE to APE increase. When one of the above four different influencing factors was increased by 10% while the other factors keep unchanged, the amplitude of the leading soliton in ISW Packet A was decreased by 2.80%, 7.47%, 3.21% and 6.42% respectively. The density difference across the pycnocline and the pycnocline depth are the two most important factors in affecting the characteristics and energetics of ISWs.     

Sub-seasonal variability of Luzon Strait Transport in a high resolution global model

The Luzon Strait is the main impact pathway of the Kuroshio on the circulation in South China Sea (SCS). Based on the analysis of the 1997–2007 altimeter data and 2005–2006 output data from a high resolution global HYCOM model, the total Luzon Strait Transport (LST) has remarkable subseasonal oscillations with a typical period of 90 to 120 days, and an average value of 1.9 Sv into SCS. Further spectrum analysis shows that the temporal variability of the LST at different depth is remarkable different. In the upper layer (0–300 m), westward inflow has significant seasonal and subseasonal variability. In the bottom layer (below 1 200 m), eastward outflow exhibits remarkable seasonal variability, while subseasonal variability is also clear. In the intermediate layer, the westward inflow is slightly bigger than the eastward outflow, and both of them have obvious seasonal and subseasonal variability. Because the seasonal variation of westward inflow and eastward outflow is opposite, the total transport of intermediate layer exhibits significant 50–150 days variation, without obvious seasonal signals. The westward Rossby waves with a period of 90 to 120 days in the Western Pacific have very clear correlationship with the Luzon Strait Transport, this indicates that the interaction between these westward Rossby waves and Kuroshio might be the possible mechanism of the subseasonal variation of the LST.     

吕宋海峡内波吸引子的三维数值模拟

Internal waves propagate along wave beams that are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. It is conjectured that the internal waves generated in the Luzon Strait may be confined between the double ridges in the strait and concentrate to a closed trajectory, the so-called internal wave attractor, due to the reflection of wave beams from the lateral boundaries, sea surface and bottom. This work carried out two experiments using a three dimensional non-hydrostatic general circulation model, MITgcm, to investigate the possibility that the ridges in the Luzon Strait allows for internal wave attractors. Baroclinic current in both of the experiments demonstrate the forming of ring-like patterns in some section around 20° and 21°N, indicating that the development of the internal wave attractors are allowed in the Luzon Strait. The different resolutions and initial conditions in the two experiments also reveal that the internal-wave-attractor phenomenon is robust in this region.     

吕宋海峡M2内潮生成与传播数值模拟研究

本文在z坐标海洋数值模式HAMSOM中引入了内潮黏性项(Internal-tide viscosity term),将之运用到吕宋海峡M2内潮的生成与传播过程的数值模拟研究。研究结果表明:(1)在250 m以浅,吕宋海峡产生的M2内潮振幅于温跃层处最大,岛坡附近的内潮明显强于别处,且最大振幅可达到40 m左右;(2)M2内潮的生成源主要集中在伊特巴亚岛西北、巴丹岛西南以及巴布延群岛西北的岛坡;(3)海峡产生的M2内潮向东西2个方向传播。巴丹岛以西的西向能量在吕宋海沟斜向下传播,在到达恒春海脊附近发生反射返回海面,到达海面后再次反射回海底,在此过程中,有高模态的内潮被激发,不同模态间有相消干涉的现象产生。西传的内潮能量分为2支进入南海,产生于巴布延群岛西北的能量分支直接向西南折转进入南海海盆,而产生于伊特巴亚岛和巴丹岛岛坡附近的主要能量则以束状向南海陆架传播,在到达118°E后部分能量折向西南的海盆,其余的能量则沿西北方向传入中国近岸,陆架陆坡地形起着重要的耗散作用。伊特巴亚岛西北有最大的能量产生,向东北传入太平洋。在122°E以东,能量主要以束状向东南传入太平洋。     

A study of SAR remote sensing of internal solitary waves in the north of the South China Sea: Ⅱ. Simulation of SAR signatures of internal solitary waves

A new model developed from the full-spectrum model of Lyzenga and Bennett （ 1988 ） is built up by us preliminarily through considering the impact of the ocean surface mixed layer turbulence on SAR remote sensing of internal solitary waves. In the partial differential equation of the action spectral density of the surface gravity-capillary waves the source function representing the contribution of the turbulence is added besides the usual source function representing the contribution of the wind. The source function is determined by applying the κ - ε model and adopting the Nasmyth spectrum of oceanic turbulence （ Nasmyth, 1970; Oakey, 1982; Fan, 2002） on the basis of the previous simulation results of internal tide transformation obtained in the companion paper （Fan et al. ,2008）. Either under relatively high wind speed, or under low wind speed, our model predicts significant large modulations of radar backscatter at all three bands （ L, C and X bands） for both VV and HH polarization. These results prove that considering the impact of ocean surface mixed layer turbulence on SAR remote sensing of internal solitary waves is reasonable and appropriate for settlement of the well-known problem of contemporary radar imaging models.     

Mooring observed mode-2 internal solitary waves in the northern South China Sea

The mode-2 internal solitary waves (ISWs) generated by mode-2 internal tide (IT) are identified by mooring observations in the northern South China Sea (SCS) from 2016 to 2017. Two mode-2 ISWs with a re-appearance period of 24.9 h observed on 29 and 30 July 2016 are characterized by type-b ISWs. They occurred when the isotherms compressed obviously in the vertical direction. Modal decomposition of IT horizontal currents shows that the vertical compression of the isotherms is mainly caused by diurnal mode-2 IT. The analysis of the role of the density stratification reveals that a deeper and thinner pycnocline is favorable for generation of mode-2 ISWs rather than pycnocline intensity. By comparing the mode-2 nonlinear, dispersion coefficients and the Ursell numbers calculated based on the stratification associated with different kinds of ITs with the observation results, it is shown that the diurnal mode-2 IT plays a crucial role in the generation of the mode-2 ISWs. When the diurnal mode-2 IT interacts with the semidiurnal IT and causes a deeper and thinner pycnocline, the mode-2 ISWs are easily excited.     

Index of Kuroshio penetrating the Luzon Strait and its preliminary application

A method of quantifying the penetration of the Kuroshio into the Luzon Strait is improved with simulated salinity. The new method is applied in an area bounded by 0.6 correlation coefficient contour to the point of 20 N, 118 E which is determined by EOF analysis. The results suggest that the method is suitable for indicating Kuroshio’s intrusion into the South China Sea quantitatively. As an indicator, the Kuroshio penetrating the Luzon index (KLI) reveals obvious annual cycle and weak bimodality. For annual periods, indexes on the surface and subsurface which point the same events have totally opposite signs due to the winter burst of surface westward current. On long-term period, the surface and subsurface indexes have consistent signs. A subsurface index on 150 m avoiding high frequency signals from the surface can be used for indicating long-term Kuroshio intrusion variation. An anti-phase pattern in wavelet coherence map between KLI and Japan large meander index shows that the Luzon Strait is a "smoother" reducing the variability of the Kuroshio transport changes on long-term periods.     

吕宋海峡输送年际变异数值研究

利用MITgcm数值模式1980—2001年的常规模拟输出数据,研究了吕宋海峡22年平均的体积、热量和盐量输送随深度的变化,并利用小波变换分别分析了吕宋海峡3个层次(0—145、145—915、915—1 837m)体积和热量输送的年际变化,主要结果如下。(1)在吕宋海峡1 837m层以下,仍有一定数量的西北太平洋海水(体积和盐)西向输送到南海;(2)915—1 615m层的年际体积输送的变化趋势与上两个层次(0—145m、145—915m)类似,但是在某些ENSO时期(如1985、1987、1991—1995年),其年际变化与145—915m层年际变化的位相相反;(3)吕宋海峡年际体积(热量)输送的小波谱图较明显地反映出ENSO现象对吕宋海峡不同层次的输送均产生一定影响。145—915m层次的吕宋海峡年际体积输送与ENSO现象相关性显著。