Turbulence and Biological Productivity at Dongsha Reef in the S. China Sea.

The combination of the Kuroshio Current, strong tides, topography, and stratification make the South China Sea one of the most energetic energy cascade environments in the global ocean. Internal waves generated in the Luzon Strait emit into the South China Sea as solitons, and propagate until they dissipate along the continental shelves of China and Vietnam. The abrupt conversion of solitons to nonlinear wave trains occurs as the waves pass onto the Dongsha Plateau. The Dongsha Reef at the center of the Plateau is directly in the path of the incoming waves.

A measurement program during 2015 documented the energetic turbulence that results as internal waves collide with the Reef. Glider based measurements of microstructure and optical properties showed that turbulent mixing and transport are correlated to biological productivity. It is speculated that the existence of the Reef itself is the result of the breaking internal waves, which moderate the temperature and nutrient levels.