Synthetic Aperture Radar observations of resonantly generated internal solitary waves at Race Point Channel (Cape Cod)

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2008

Authors

da Silva, JCB (Author) Other; Helfrich, KR (Author) Other

Journal

Title: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS

Vol. 113

ISSN: 2169-9275

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 36 Citations

Scopus - 12 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Earth and related Environmental sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-TVK

DOI: 10.1029/2008jc005004

Abstract (EN): Synthetic Aperture Radar images revealed the two-dimensional propagation characteristics of short-period internal solitary waves in Race Point Channel in Massachusetts Bay. The images and in situ measurements of the flow in the channel are used to infer the likely generation mechanism of the waves. The solitary waves are generated during the ebb phase of the tide within the channel. On some occasions, two trains of internal waves are generated presumably at the same location but at slightly different phases of the ebb tide. The main characteristics of the (two-layer) flow are described based on the criticality of the Froude number. It is suggested that these two individual packets of waves result from flow passage through resonance (where the Froude number is one). One packet is generated as the flow passes through the transcritical regime during the acceleration phase of the (ebb) tidal current, and another packet is generated during the deceleration phase. Both packets propagate upstream when the tide slacks, but with slightly different propagation directions.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 17