Internal Tides and Internal Solitary Waves in the Northern South China Sea
No Thumbnail Available
Files
Date
2009-07-20
Authors
Journal Title
Series/Report No.
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Large-amplitude internal solitary waves (ISWs) are frequently observed in the northern South China Sea (SCS). In a project sponsored by the US Office of Naval Research, four moorings were deployed between the Luzon Strait and the Chinese continental shelf by Steve Ramp of the Naval Postgraduate School and David Tang of National Taiwan University from late April 2005 to May 2006. Several CTD sections were taken during April and July in 2005. Satellite pictures were also collected during that period. In this study, these data were used to examine the characteristics, generation, and propagation of ISWs. In the satellite images, monthly change in stratification may cause northward shift of the propagation path, and ISWs are more frequently observed in July than in April and May. Speed estimation shows that ISWs propagate faster in the deep basin than over the continental margin and near the ridge. The generation of internal tides correlates with the eastward tidal flow over the ridge, while ISWs are produced by northwestward tidal currents over the ridges in the Luzon Strait.
Description
Keywords
internal solitary waves, internal tides
Citation
Degree
MS
Discipline
Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
