Publication Date:
2014-11-26
Description:
Several sequential upwelling events were observed in fall 2012, using measurements from the outer half of the continental shelf in Monterey Bay, during which the infiltration of dense water onto the shelf created a secondary, near-bottom pycnocline. This deep pycnocline existed in concert with the near-surface pycnocline and enabled the propagation of nearbottom, cold, semidiurnal internal tidal bores, as well as energetic, high-frequency, nonlinear internal waves of elevation (IWOE). The IWOE occurred within 20 m of the bottom, had amplitudes of 8-24 m, periods of 6-45 min, and depth-integrated energy fluxes up to 200 W m-1. Iribarren numbers (〈 0.03) indicate that these IWOE were non-breaking in this region of the shelf. These observations further demonstrate how regional upwelling dynamics and the resulting bulk, cross-margin hydrography is a first-order control on the ability of internal waves, at tidal and higher frequencies, to propagate through continental shelf waters.
Print ISSN:
0094-8276
Electronic ISSN:
1944-8007
Topics:
Geosciences
,
Physics
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