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Internal Waves in the East Australian Current
Author(s) -
Alford Matthew H.,
Sloyan Bernadette M.,
Simmons Harper L.
Publication year - 2017
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 - 10.1002/2017gl075246
Subject(s) - internal wave , geology , mooring , internal tide , storm , turbulence , continental shelf , geophysics , geodesy , group velocity , inertial wave , baroclinity , seismology , wave propagation , meteorology , climatology , physics , mechanical wave , oceanography , longitudinal wave , optics
Internal waves, which drive most ocean turbulence and add “noise” to lower‐frequency records, interact with low‐frequency current systems and topography in yet poorly known ways. Taking advantage of a heavily instrumented, 14 month mooring array, internal waves in the East Australian Current (EAC) are examined for the first time. Internal wave horizontal kinetic energy ( H K E ) is within a factor of 2 of the Garrett‐Munk (1976) spectrum. Continuum internal waves, near‐inertial waves, and internal tides together constitute a significant percentage of the total velocity variance. Mode‐1 internal tide energy fluxes are southward and much smaller than energy times group velocity, consistent with reflection at the continental slope of incident waves generated from near New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands. Internal tide H K E is highly phase variable, consistent with refraction by the variable EAC. Mode‐1 near‐inertial wave energy fluxes are of comparable magnitude and are equatorward and episodic, consistent with generation by storms farther poleward. These processes are considered together in the complex environment of the EAC.