Scattering of mode-1 M2 internal tide in the South China Sea

Abstract

When the internal tides encounter topography during propagation, the scattering effect will induce the baroclinic energy to transfer from the low mode to the higher mode, which may cause the internal tide to become unstable or even enhance dissipation. The characteristics of scattering of mode-1 M₂ internal tide in the northern South China Sea (SCS) and its impact on baroclinic energy dissipation are explored in this study based on numerical simulations. The results show that the energy flux of the mode-1 M₂ internal tide gradually weakens during propagation into the South China Sea. In the northern SCS, which has more complex topography, such as the continental slope, scattering will occur, resulting in a vertical mode increase and shear enhancement, and finally, the baroclinic energy is dissipated. Next, the effect of different topographies on mode-1 M₂ internal tide scattering is analyzed by ideal experiments. The mode-1 M₂ internal tide is scattered by topography, and the propagation as well as dissipation are also modified. The results show that the strong energy flux is mainly distributed on the surface of the continental slope and the area near the slope break. With the increase in criticality, the energy flux around the seamount and on the shelf gradually weakens, and the dissipation rate increases continuously. In addition, the slope topography is more likely to induce internal tide scattering than the seamount topography.