Investigation of the Arctic Internal Wave Field. Small-Scale Processes in the Arctic Ocean and Sub-Arctic Seas.
Abstract
The unprecedented subsurface velocity record from the AEDB as it drifted from the Nansen Basin, over the Yermak Plateau, and into the Greenland Sea provided new insights into the high latitude internal wave field. Plueddemann (1992) showed that the wave field over the Yermak Plateau was dominated by near inertial wave groups generated at or near the bottom and propagating upwards. The energy level and spectral slope in the internal wave band over the ice covered plateau were similar to those expected for mid-latitudes, and represented a jump in energy of about a factor of 2.5 from the nearby Nansen Basin. The magnitudes of the observed upward energy fluxes were as large as the downward fluxes typically found at mid-latitude. Thus, it appears that considering the nature of the high latitude internal wave spectrum to be governed by the properties of the ice cover or the distance into the pack ice is insufficient since strong bottom sources of internal waves may be present in regions with relatively shallow variable topography.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 13, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA317830
Entities
People
- Albert J. Plueddemann
Organizations
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution