The Effects on Finestructure Measurements of Correcting for Internal Wave Strain

Abstract

It is shown that two methods used for eliminating the effects Of internal-wave straining on fine-scale salinity-temperature-depth profiles also eliminate finestructure in which Rp = α∂zT/β∂zS is locally constant. It is expected that finestructure indicative of double-diffusive convection will have a near-constant value of Rp and hence be suppressed (or grossly distorted) by the methods. In those few cases where vertical internal-wave advection is the only process affecting the measurements, we suggest a modification to the method of Johnson et al. (1978) which overcomes this disadvantage. When this modification cannot be applied, it is suggested that the modification developed by Joyce et al. (1978) he adopted.