Numerical study of baroclinic tides in Luzon Strait |
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| Authors: | Sen Jan Ren-Chieh Lien Chi-Hua Ting |
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| Institution: | (1) Institute of Hydrological and Oceanic Sciences, National Central University, 300 Jung-da Road, Jung-li, 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C.;(2) Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th Street, Box 355640, Seattle, WA 98105-6698, USA |
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| Abstract: | The spatial and temporal variations of baroclinic tides in the Luzon Strait (LS) are investigated using a three-dimensional
tide model driven by four principal constituents, O1, K1, M2 and S2, individually or together with seasonal mean summer or winter stratifications as the initial field. Barotropic tides propagate
predominantly westward from the Pacific Ocean, impinge on two prominent north-south running submarine ridges in LS, and generate
strong baroclinic tides propagating into both the South China Sea (SCS) and the Pacific Ocean. Strong baroclinic tides, ∼19
GW for diurnal tides and ∼11 GW for semidiurnal tides, are excited on both the east ridge (70%) and the west ridge (30%).
The barotropic to baroclinic energy conversion rate reaches 30% for diurnal tides and ∼20% for semidiurnal tides. Diurnal
(O1 and K1) and semidiurnal (M2) baroclinic tides have a comparable depth-integrated energy flux 10–20 kW m−1 emanating from the LS into the SCS and the Pacific basin. The spring-neap averaged, meridionally integrated baroclinic tidal
energy flux is ∼7 GW into the SCS and ∼6 GW into the Pacific Ocean, representing one of the strongest baroclinic tidal energy
flux regimes in the World Ocean. About 18 GW of baroclinic tidal energy, ∼50% of that generated in the LS, is lost locally,
which is more than five times that estimated in the vicinity of the Hawaiian ridge. The strong westward-propagating semidiurnal
baroclinic tidal energy flux is likely the energy source for the large-amplitude nonlinear internal waves found in the SCS.
The baroclinic tidal energy generation, energy fluxes, and energy dissipation rates in the spring tide are about five times
those in the neap tide; while there is no significant seasonal variation of energetics, but the propagation speed of baroclinic
tide is about 10% faster in summer than in winter. Within the LS, the average turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate is
O(10−7) W kg− 1 and the turbulence diffusivity is O(10−3) m2s−1, a factor of 100 greater than those in the typical open ocean. This strong turbulence mixing induced by the baroclinic tidal
energy dissipation exists in the main path of the Kuroshio and is important in mixing the Pacific Ocean, Kuroshio, and the
SCS waters. |
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| Keywords: | Numerical model baroclinic tides seasonal fortnightly Luzon Strait |
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