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Three Dimensional Numerical Simulations of Internal Tides at the Continental Slope and Shelf off Angola
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  • Zhi Zeng,
  • Peter Brandt,
  • Kevin Lamb,
  • Richard John Greatbatch,
  • Marcus Dengler,
  • Martin Claus,
  • Xueen Chen
Zhi Zeng
Ocean University of China, Ocean University of China

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Peter Brandt
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
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Kevin Lamb
University of Waterloo, University of Waterloo
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Richard John Greatbatch
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
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Marcus Dengler
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
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Martin Claus
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
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Xueen Chen
College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China
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Abstract

In austral winter, biological productivity at the Angolan shelf reaches its maximum. The alongshore winds, however, reach their seasonal minimum suggesting that processes other than local wind-driven upwelling contribute to near-coastal cooling and nutrient supply, one possibility being mixing induced by internal tides (ITs). Here, we apply a three-dimensional ocean model to simulate the generation, propagation and dissipation of ITs at the Angolan slope and shelf. Model results are validated against moored acoustic Doppler current profiler and other observations. Simulated ITs are mainly generated in regions with a critical/supercritical slope typically between the 200- and 500-m isobaths. Mixing induced by ITs is found to be strongest close to the shore and gradually decreases offshore thereby contributing to the establishment of a cross-shore sea surface temperature gradient. The available seasonal coverage of hydrographic data is used to design sensitivity simulations. Seasonal variations in stratification results in substantial temporal differences in IT characteristics, such as their wavelengths, sea surface convergence patterns and baroclinic structure, additionally showing strong spatial variations. However, seasonal variations in the domain-integrated generation, onshore flux and dissipation of IT energy are weak. By defining a parameter - the relative change of the vertical density gradient - to evaluate the relative mixing strength, it is shown, nevertheless, that mixing due to ITs is more effective at weakening the stratification during austral winter. We argue this is because less energy is required to mix the water column in austral winter than in austral summer.
Feb 2021Published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans volume 126 issue 2. 10.1029/2020JC016460