Numerical Internal Tide Scattering, Diffraction, and Dissipation on the Tasman Continental Slope

Abstract:

Internal tides generated at steep topography tend to propagate far from their source with little local mixing. Where does this energy dissipate? One candidate is via reflection on continental slopes. The upcoming Tasmanian Internal Tide Experiment aims to look at the reflection of internal tide generated near New Zealand and track its reflection from the Tasmanian Continental Slope. Here we consider numerical studies to track the propagation of the internal tide onto this slope and its dissipation. We find a strong interference patterns sets up, as expected from a reflecting tide. The pattern is complicated by the ``Tasman Rise'' positioned near the center of the incoming internal tide beam, causing a diffraction pattern to focus and defocus the tide along the slope. Dissipative mechanisms on the slope include turbulent lee waves from small cross-slope ridges, and along-slope lee-waves trapped and breaking in corrugations in the slope.