Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Tropical storm-forced near-inertial energy dissipation in the southeast continental shelf region of Hainan Island

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Science China Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Near-inertial motion is an important dynamic process in the upper ocean and plays a significant role in mass, heat, and energy transport across the thermocline. In this study, the dissipation of wind-induced near-inertial energy in the thermocline is investigated by using observation data collected in July and August 2005 during the tropical storm Washi by a moored system at (19°35′N, 112°E) in the continental shelf region off Hainan Island. In the observation period, the near-inertial part dominated the observed ocean kinetic energy and about 80% of the near-inertial energy dissipated in the upper layer. Extremely strong turbulent mixing induced by near-inertial wave was observed in the thermocline, where the turbulent energy dissipation rate increased by two orders of magnitude above the background level. It is found that the energy loss of near-inertial waves in the thermocline is mainly in the large-scales. This is different from the previous hypothesis based on “Kolmogorov cascade” turbulence theory that the kinetic energy is dissipated mainly by small-scale motions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alford M H. 2001. Internal swell generation: The spatial distribution of energy flux from the wind to mixed layer near-inertial motions. J Phys Oceanogr, 31: 2359–2368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alford M H, Cronin M F, Klymak J M. 2012. Annual cycle and depth penetration of wind-generated near-inertial internal waves at ocean station Papa in the Northeast Pacific. J Phys Oceanogr, 42: 889–909

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alford M H, Whitmont M. 2007. Seasonal and spatial variability of near-inertial kinetic energy from historical moored velocity records. J Phys Oceanogr, 37: 2022–2037

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Asaro E. 1985. The energy flux from the wind to near-inertial motions in the mixed layer. J Phys Oceanogr, 15: 943–959

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Asaro E A. 2003. The ocean boundary layer below Hurricane Dennis. J Phys Oceanogr, 33: 561–579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furuichi N, Hibiya T, Niwa Y. 2008. Model predicated distribution of wind-induced internal wave energy in the word’s oceans. J Geophys Res, 113: C09034

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner W D, Blakey J C, Walsh I D, et al. 2001. Optics, particles, stratification, and storms on the New England continental shelf. J Geophys Res, 106: 9473–9498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrett C. 2001. What is the “near-inertial” band and why is it different from the rest of the internal wave spectrum? J Phys Oceanogr, 31: 962–971

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang J, Lu Y, Perrie W. 2005. Estimating the energy flux from the wind to ocean internal motions: The sensitivity to surface wind fields. Geophys Res Lett, 32: L15610

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKinnon J A, Gregg M C. 2003. Mixing on the late-summer New England shelf-solibores, shear, and stratification. J Phys Oceanogr, 33: 1476–1492

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKinnon J A, Gregg M C. 2005. Spring mixing: Turbulence and internal waves during restratification on the New England Shelf. J Phys Oceanogr, 35: 2425–2443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moehlis J, Llewellyn-Smith S G. 2001. Radiation of mixed layer near-inertial oscillations into the ocean interior. J Phys Oceanogr, 31: 1550–1560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munk W, Wunsch C. 1998. Abyssal recipes II: Energeties of tidal and wind mixing. Dee Sea Res, 45: 1977–2010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plueddemann A J, Farrar J T. 2006. Observations and models of the energy flux from the wind to mixed layer inertial currents. Deep Sea Res, 53: 5–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollard R T. 1970. On the generation by winds of inertial waves in the ocean. Deep Sea Res, 17: 795–812

    Google Scholar 

  • Shearman R K. 2005. Observations of near-inertial current variability on the New England shelf. J Geophys Res, 110: C02012

    Google Scholar 

  • Silverthorne K E, Toole J M. 2009. Seasonal kinetic energy variability of near-inertial motions. J Phys Oceanogr, 29: 1035–1049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sriver R L, Huber M. 2007. Observational evidence for an ocean heat pump induced by tropical cyclones. Nature, 447: 577–580

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe M, Hibiya T. 2002. Global estimates of the wind-induced energy flux to inertial motions in the surface mixed layer. Geophys Res Lett, 29: 1239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu Z H, Yin B S, Hou Y J, et al. 2013. Variability of internal tides and near-inertial waves on the continental slope of the northwestern South China Sea. J Geophys Res, 118: 1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Zervakis V, Levine M. 1995. Near-inertial energy propagation from the mixed layer: Theoretical considerations. J Phys Oceanogr, 25: 2872–2889

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang S W, Xie L L, Hou Y J, et al. 2014. Tropical storm-induced turbulent mixing and chlorophyll-a enhancement in the continental shelf southeast of Hainan Island. J Mar Syst, 129: 405–414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng Q, Lai R, Huang N E, et al. 2006. Observation of ocean current response to 1998 Hurricane Georges in the Gulf of Mexico. Acta Oceanol Sin, 25: 1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou L, Tian J W, Wang D X. 2005. Energy distributions of the large-scale horizontal currents caused by wind in the baroclinic ocean. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 35: 997–1006

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangdong Key Lab. of Climate, Resource and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China

    ShuWen Zhang, LingLing Xie & Hui Zhao

  2. Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China

    YiJun Hou

Authors
  1. ShuWen Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. LingLing Xie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hui Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. YiJun Hou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to ShuWen Zhang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhang, S., Xie, L., Zhao, H. et al. Tropical storm-forced near-inertial energy dissipation in the southeast continental shelf region of Hainan Island. Sci. China Earth Sci. 57, 1879–1884 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-013-4813-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-013-4813-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation