Study of Kuroshio Intrusion and Transport using Moorings and EM-APEX Floats in QPEU Experiment

Abstract

Our long-term scientific goals are to understand the dynamics and identify mechanisms of small-scale processes in the ocean with the objective of developing improved parameterizations of mixing for ocean models. Internal tides, inertial waves, nonlinear internal waves (NLIWs), and turbulence mixing are all key components to understanding mixing within the stratified ocean. Each of these factors can lead to uncertainty within current ocean models due to their complex interplay. This study focuses primarily on small-scale processes (NLIWs and inertial waves), internal tides, and also key circulation features including cold dome events localized at the continental slope of the East China Sea (ECS) and intrusions generated as the Kuroshio and barotropic tides interact with the continental shelf of the ECS. These small-scale processes and circulation features modulate the temporal, horizontal and vertical spatial structures of the water properties of the ocean. These processes may significantly modify acoustic properties and thus introduce uncertainty into sonar performance and acoustic propagation models. Our ultimate goal is to collaborate with acousticians to identify oceanic processes that alter acoustic properties. A detailed understanding of these properties, mechanism, and dynamics will aid in quantification and assessment of uncertainty in acoustic prediction.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2011
Accession Number
ADA557131

Entities

People

  • Ren-Chieh Lien
  • Thomas B. Sanford

Organizations

  • University of Washington

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Propagation
  • Acoustic Properties
  • Continental Shelves
  • Continental Slopes
  • Dynamics
  • East China Sea
  • Intrusion
  • Observation
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Physical Oceanography
  • Physical Properties
  • Physics
  • Physics Laboratories
  • Ridges
  • Salinity
  • Tidal Power

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Acoustical Oceanography.
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers