Premium
Seasonal variation of semidiurnal internal tides in the East/Japan Sea
Author(s) -
Jeon Chanhyung,
Park JaeHun,
Varlamov Sergey M.,
Yoon JongHwan,
Kim Young Ho,
Seo Seongbong,
Park YoungGyu,
Min Hong Sik,
Lee Jae Hak,
Kim CheolHo
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9291
pISSN - 2169-9275
DOI - 10.1002/2014jc009864
Subject(s) - barotropic fluid , stratification (seeds) , internal tide , baroclinity , seasonality , oceanography , climatology , internal wave , ocean general circulation model , geology , forcing (mathematics) , atmospheric sciences , general circulation model , climate change , seed dormancy , botany , germination , statistics , mathematics , dormancy , biology
The seasonal variation of semidiurnal internal tides in the East/Japan Sea was investigated using 25 month long output from a real‐time ocean forecasting system. The z coordinate eddy‐resolving high‐resolution numerical model, called the RIAM ocean model, incorporates data assimilation that nudges temperature and salinity fields together with volume transport through the Korea Strait to produce realistic oceanic currents and stratification. In addition to atmospheric forcing, it includes tidal forcing of 16 major components along open boundaries. The model generates energetic semidiurnal internal tides around the northern entrance of the Korea Strait. Energy conversion from barotropic to baroclinic (internal) tides varies seasonally with maxima in September (ranging 0.48–0.52 GW) and minima in March (ranging 0.11–0.16 GW). This seasonal variation is induced by the seasonality in stratification near the southwestern East/Japan Sea. The propagation distance of the internal tides is associated with generation intensity and wavelength. From late summer to early winter, the semidiurnal internal tides travel relatively far from the generation region due to stratification changes; its energy dissipates less as a result of longer wavelengths. Our results suggest that spatiotemporal variation of internal‐tide‐induced mixing due to the seasonality in the generation, propagation, and dissipation of internal tides should be considered for a more realistic simulation of water masses and circulation in models of the East/Japan Sea.