From tides to mixing along the Hawaiian ridge.
The cascade from tides to turbulence has been hypothesized to serve as a major energy pathway for ocean mixing. We investigated this cascade along the Hawaiian Ridge using observations and numerical models. A divergence of internal tidal energy flux observed at the ridge agrees with the predictions of internal tide models. Large internal tidal waves with peak-to-peak amplitudes of up to 300 meters occur on the ridge. Internal-wave energy is enhanced, and turbulent dissipation in the region near the ridge is 10 times larger than open-ocean values. Given these major elements in the tides-to-turbulence cascade, an energy budget approaches closure.
Rudnick
Daniel L
DL
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA 92093-0213, USA. drudnick@ucsd.edu
Boyd
Timothy J
TJ
Brainard
Russell E
RE
Carter
Glenn S
GS
Egbert
Gary D
GD
Gregg
Michael C
MC
Holloway
Peter E
PE
Klymak
Jody M
JM
Kunze
Eric
E
Lee
Craig M
CM
Levine
Murray D
MD
Luther
Douglas S
DS
Martin
Joseph P
JP
Merrifield
Mark A
MA
Moum
James N
JN
Nash
Jonathan D
JD
Pinkel
Robert
R
Rainville
Luc
L
Sanford
Thomas B
TB