OBSERVATIONS OF SHORT PERIOD INTERNAL WAVES IN MASSACHUSETTS BAY.
Abstract
Short period (7-minutes) temperature fluctuations were measured in 82 m of water from instrumented buoys moored 9 km west of a prominent sill in Massachusetts Bay. The high frequency oscillations begin with a large abrupt rise in temperature and persists for about three hours. The average time interval between the onset of successive groups of high frequency fluctuations was 12.4 hours. Prior to their onset the temperature is steady. The high frequency fluctuations are coherent and of uniform phase in the vertical direction. The distribution of the rms vertical displacements corresponds to the eigen-function of the first mode of internal waves, which was computed from measurements of density and velocity. Long crested, short wavelength, dark narrow surface bands were related to the high frequency temperature fluctuations. Groups of high frequency large amplitude fluctuations occurred in velocity measurements made 200 m from the temperature instrumented buoys. The high frequency fluctuations occurring at regular intervals of time seem to be internal waves of mode one propagating in the same direction with respect to the moving medium. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0692164
Entities
People
- David J. Halpern
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology