Near-inertial wave propagation into the pycnocline during Ocean Storms: observations and model comparison

Abstract

Observations of near-inertial oscillations collected during the Ocean Storms Experiment in the northeast Pacific Ocean are compared with results from a linear, numerical model on a β plane, developed by Zervakis and Levine. A slab mixed layer model, forced by the observed wind time series, is used to identify three isolated events of local generation in October, January, and March for detailed analysis. Synoptic storm track maps are used to estimate the initial horizontal wavenumber of the mixed layer currents that are used as initial conditions to the model. The observed vertical and temporal structure indicates that the near-inertial energy propagated as a "beam' of energy through the pycnocline, especially in October. In the model the wave energy appears to accumulate at the top of the pycnocline. -from Authors