Bottom trapped internal waves over the Malin Sea continental slope

Abstract

Three-dimensional dynamics of internal tides on the continental slope of the Malin Sea is studied numerically and validated with the observational data collected on the 88-th cruise of the RRS “James Cook” in June–July 2013. Observed in-situ bottom intensification of baroclinic tidal currents was reproduced in a series of numerical experiments using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model. The baroclinic tidal dynamics is explained in terms of superposition of two wave processes developing in the area. One of them is a tidal beam generated at the shelf break and radiating tidal energy downward into abyss. The second important process identified here was a bottom trapped internal wave, generated by the tidal flow over a local prominence. This internal wave was trapped by the topography at the depths below 800m and propagated northward along the slope.