Tidal Mixing at the Shelf Break
Abstract
The aim of this project was to study mixing forced by tidal flow over sudden changes in topographic slope such as near the shelf-break, using high-resolution nonhydrostatic numerical simulations employing the MIT gem. Two difference sets of simulations have been performed, the first a parameter survey involving 4 different topographies and a wide range of forcing amplitudes; the second a set of simulations of flow over the Hawaiian ridge. The most exciting scientific result is the importance of internal hydraulic jumps in generating tidal mixing at large amplitude, steep topography. An additional important result is the quantification of the relative amount of energy dissipated locally compared to that radiated away as internal tides - whereas this fraction is only 10% for most topographies, it increases greatly for very narrow topography.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 22, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA441271
Entities
People
- Nelson Hogg
- Sonya Legg
Organizations
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution