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Toward an internal gravity wave spectrum in global ocean models
Author(s) -
Müller Malte,
Arbic Brian K.,
Richman James G.,
Shriver Jay F.,
Kunze Eric L.,
Scott Robert B.,
Wallcraft Alan J.,
Zamudio Luis
Publication year - 2015
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 - 10.1002/2015gl063365
Subject(s) - internal wave , kinetic energy , gravity wave , physics , spectral line , dispersion (optics) , computational physics , nonlinear system , wind wave , gravitational wave , inertial frame of reference , wave propagation , mechanics , geophysics , geology , classical mechanics , optics , astrophysics , astronomy , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
Abstract High‐resolution global ocean models forced by atmospheric fields and tides are beginning to display realistic internal gravity wave spectra, especially as model resolution increases. This paper examines internal waves in global simulations with 0.08° and 0.04° (~8 and 4 km) horizontal resolutions, respectively. Frequency spectra of internal wave horizontal kinetic energy in the North Pacific lie closer to observations in the 0.04° simulation than in the 0.08° simulation. The horizontal wave number and frequency ( K‐ω ) kinetic energy spectra contain peaks in the semidiurnal tidal band and near‐inertial band, along with a broadband frequency continuum aligned along the linear dispersion relations of low‐vertical‐mode internal waves. Spectral kinetic energy transfers describe the rate at which nonlinear mechanisms remove or supply kinetic energy in specific K‐ω ranges. Energy is transferred out of low‐mode inertial and semidiurnal internal waves into a broad continuum of higher‐frequency and higher‐wave number internal waves.