SAR observing large-scale nonlinear internal waves in the White Sea

Type Article
Date 2014-05
Language English
Author(s) Kozlov Igor1, 2, Romanenkov Dmitry3, Zimin Alexei1, 3, Chapron Bertrand1, 4
Affiliation(s) 1 : Russian State Hydrometeorol Univ, Satellite Oceanog Lab SOLab, St Petersburg 195196, Russia.
2 : Klaipeda Univ, LT-92291 Klaipeda, Lithuania.
3 : RAS, PP Shirshov Inst Oceanol, St Petersburg Branch, St Petersburg, Russia.
4 : Inst Francais Rech Exploitat Mer, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
Source Remote Sensing Of Environment (0034-4257) (Elsevier Science Inc), 2014-05 , Vol. 147 , P. 99-107
DOI 10.1016/j.rse.2014.02.017
WOS© Times Cited 31
Keyword(s) SAR imaging, Nonlinear internal waves, The White Sea, Vertical mixing
Abstract The compiled archive of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images acquired by the Advanced SAR (ASAR) onboard the Envisat satellite over the White Sea during the extended summer periods (May-September) between 2007 and 2011, provides the first detailed analysis of 2-D patterns of internal waves (IWs) in the White Sea. Unambiguously, the primary region of IW activity is the southwestern (SW) Gorlo Strait (GS). LW packets emerging from this area are regularly observed to reach crest lengths up to 200 km, and also to propagate a few hundred kilometers from their origin. Model results confirm that large-scale IWs can be generated every tidal cycle and are able to cross the entire sea. As suggested, the source of these packets is governed by the intense dynamics of the frontal zone in the tidal cycle over local complex bottom. As further revealed, these large-scale IWs cascade into intense large-amplitude short LW packets on the shoaling White Sea shelf, significantly impacting vertical turbulent exchange and the overall hydrology.
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