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Lee wave generation rates in the deep ocean
Author(s) -
Wright Corwin J.,
Scott Robert B.,
Ailliot Pierre,
Furnival Darran
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2013gl059087
Subject(s) - buoyancy , geostrophic wind , geology , climatology , internal wave , meteorology , sink (geography) , ocean general circulation model , internal tide , energy budget , oceanography , general circulation model , climate change , physics , geography , cartography , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
Using the world's largest data set of in situ ocean current measurements, combined with a high‐resolution topography roughness data set, we use a model‐assisted hierarchical clustering methodology to estimate the global lee wave generation rate at the ocean floor. Our analysis suggests that internal wave generation contributes 0.75±0.19 TW (±2 standard deviation) to the oceanic energy budget but with a strong dependence on the Brunt‐Väisäla (buoyancy) frequency climatology used. This estimate is higher than previous calculations and suggests that internal wave generation may be a much more significant contributor to the global oceanic mechanical energy budget than had previously been assumed. Our results imply that lee wave generation and propagation may be a dominant sink of at least half and potentially the overwhelming majority of ocean surface wind work on the geostrophic circulation.