A simple early warning method for large internal solitary waves in the northern South China Sea

Abstract

Internal solitary waves (ISWs) are ubiquitous phenomena in many coastal oceans, especially the northern South China Sea (SCS). They can pose a serious threat to the deep-water drilling platforms and other ocean engineering structures. In this paper, we describe a simple and economical early warning method by estimating ISW propagation speeds using the measurements by a single acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). This method is based on the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation. As an example, a set of observational data collected by mooring buoys at the Liwan block (19–20°N, 115–116°E) of the northern SCS are used to calculate the propagation speeds and directions of measured ISWs. The accuracy of estimated ISW propagation speeds is also tested by tracking the signals of ISWs using two ADCP moorings and it is found that the prediction deviation is less than 10%. The force and torque exerted by an ISW on a semisubmersible drilling platform are also estimated according to Morison’s equation and other empirical formulas, which can provide a reference for safety controls on offshore platforms.