HR: 11:15h
AN: OS52A-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Variability of Spectral Flux of Energy in Inertia-Gravity Waves
AU: * Glazman, R E
EM: reg@pacific.jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, M/S 300-323 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109 United States
AU: Golubev, Y N
EM: ygolubev@pacific.jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Raytheon ITSS, 299 N. Euclid St, Pasadena, CA 91101 United States
AB: Analysis of moored current meter measurements at high sampling rates (15 to 30 min) is carried out in order to identify possible mechanisms responsible for the observed rate, Q, of direct spectral flux of wave energy through the equilibrium range of weakly-nonlinear baroclinic inertia-gravity wave (IGW) spectrum. The values of Q can be estimated by fitting a theoretical spectrum of IGW (containing Q among its key parameters) to observed spectra of horizontal velocity fluctuations. Having thus found Q(t) for short time intervals (such as 20 days), it is natural to compare its evolution with time histories of various external factors that may be responsible for energy flux variations on larger timescales - seasonal to interannual. Among such factors we tested wind energy, the kinetic energy of vortical oceanic large-scale motions, and the Richardson, Rossby, and Froud numbers. The latter two numbers have been suggested in some theoretical studies as controlling the loss of energy by vortical motions to the internal IGW mode. Although interactions between the slow vortical motions and the fast gravity waves have been always thought as rather insignificant, our data appear to indicate that they do occur and are in fact not negligible.
DE: 4500 OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICAL
DE: 4520 Eddies and mesoscale processes
DE: 4544 Internal and inertial waves
DE: 4599 General or miscellaneous
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly