Distortion and broadening of internal solitary wavefront in the northeastern South China Sea deep basin

Abstract Internal solitary waves (ISWs) with peculiar fronts are frequently observed in the world ocean by satellite images, though with quite few explanations. In this study a distorted and broadening ISW front across the northeastern South China Sea deep basin is presented by using synthetic apert...

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Main Authors: Jieshuo Xie, Yinghui He, Haibin Lü, Zhiwu Chen, Jiexin Xu, Shuqun Cai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-07-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070093
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author Jieshuo Xie
Yinghui He
Haibin Lü
Zhiwu Chen
Jiexin Xu
Shuqun Cai
author_facet Jieshuo Xie
Yinghui He
Haibin Lü
Zhiwu Chen
Jiexin Xu
Shuqun Cai
author_sort Jieshuo Xie
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Internal solitary waves (ISWs) with peculiar fronts are frequently observed in the world ocean by satellite images, though with quite few explanations. In this study a distorted and broadening ISW front across the northeastern South China Sea deep basin is presented by using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image. To illustrate this peculiar front, a nonlinear refraction model is developed to simulate and evaluate the effects of realistic bottom topography, current, and stratification on its transformation. Simulated results in realistic oceanic environments show good agreements with this SAR‐observed front. Based on separate and comparative results in different background environments, we demonstrate that the distortion is actually caused by the strong mesoscale currents at periphery of an anticyclonic eddy. Moreover, the broadening is due to the difference in change of wave half width at different rays, which is associated with the different transformation of ISWs across variable bottom topography in the deep basin.
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institution OA Journals
issn 0094-8276
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publishDate 2016-07-01
publisher Wiley
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-88ccbe2bbea146c58d94fbcab501992e2025-08-20T02:31:41ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-07-0143147617762410.1002/2016GL070093Distortion and broadening of internal solitary wavefront in the northeastern South China Sea deep basinJieshuo Xie0Yinghui He1Haibin Lü2Zhiwu Chen3Jiexin Xu4Shuqun Cai5State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology CAS Guangzhou ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology CAS Guangzhou ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology CAS Guangzhou ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology CAS Guangzhou ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology CAS Guangzhou ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology CAS Guangzhou ChinaAbstract Internal solitary waves (ISWs) with peculiar fronts are frequently observed in the world ocean by satellite images, though with quite few explanations. In this study a distorted and broadening ISW front across the northeastern South China Sea deep basin is presented by using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image. To illustrate this peculiar front, a nonlinear refraction model is developed to simulate and evaluate the effects of realistic bottom topography, current, and stratification on its transformation. Simulated results in realistic oceanic environments show good agreements with this SAR‐observed front. Based on separate and comparative results in different background environments, we demonstrate that the distortion is actually caused by the strong mesoscale currents at periphery of an anticyclonic eddy. Moreover, the broadening is due to the difference in change of wave half width at different rays, which is associated with the different transformation of ISWs across variable bottom topography in the deep basin.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070093internal solitary wavefrontsatellite observationsnonlinear refraction modelnortheastern South China Sea deep basin
spellingShingle Jieshuo Xie
Yinghui He
Haibin Lü
Zhiwu Chen
Jiexin Xu
Shuqun Cai
Distortion and broadening of internal solitary wavefront in the northeastern South China Sea deep basin
Geophysical Research Letters
internal solitary wavefront
satellite observations
nonlinear refraction model
northeastern South China Sea deep basin
title Distortion and broadening of internal solitary wavefront in the northeastern South China Sea deep basin
title_full Distortion and broadening of internal solitary wavefront in the northeastern South China Sea deep basin
title_fullStr Distortion and broadening of internal solitary wavefront in the northeastern South China Sea deep basin
title_full_unstemmed Distortion and broadening of internal solitary wavefront in the northeastern South China Sea deep basin
title_short Distortion and broadening of internal solitary wavefront in the northeastern South China Sea deep basin
title_sort distortion and broadening of internal solitary wavefront in the northeastern south china sea deep basin
topic internal solitary wavefront
satellite observations
nonlinear refraction model
northeastern South China Sea deep basin
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070093
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AT yinghuihe distortionandbroadeningofinternalsolitarywavefrontinthenortheasternsouthchinaseadeepbasin
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AT zhiwuchen distortionandbroadeningofinternalsolitarywavefrontinthenortheasternsouthchinaseadeepbasin
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