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Observations of internal wave packets propagating along‐shelf in northern Monterey Bay

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Title Observations of internal wave packets propagating along‐shelf in northern Monterey Bay
Names Woodson, C. B. (creator)
Barth, J. A. (creator)
Cheriton, O. M. (creator)
McManus, M. A. (creator)
Ryan, J. P. (creator)
Washburn, L. (creator)
Carden, K. N. (creator)
Cheng, B. S. (creator)
Fernandes, J. (creator)
Garske, L. E. (creator)
Gouhier, T. C. (creator)
Haupt, A. J. (creator)
Honey, K. T. (creator)
Hubbard, M. F. (creator)
Iles, A. (creator)
Kara, L. (creator)
Lynch, M. C. (creator)
Mahoney, B. (creator)
Pfaff, M. (creator)
Pinsky, M. L. (creator)
Robart, M. J. (creator)
Stewart, J. S. (creator)
Teck, S. J. (creator)
True, A. (creator)
Date Issued 2011-01-13 (iso8601)
Abstract Internal waves of depression were observed propagating
along‐shelf and into northern Monterey Bay, California
(CA) on the inner shelf. These waves had amplitudes
approximately equal to the thermocline depth (∼4 m), and
were unstable to shear and mix the thermocline. Isopycnal
gradient spectra showed that the wave packets lead to an elevated
mean dissipation rate of ε = 2.63 × 10−5 m3 s−2 for up
to 2 hours after wave passage. The proximity to the surface
created strong surface convergences that can actively transport
buoyant material, such as plankton, back into the bay.
The wave packets were observed regularly over the upwelling
season across multiple years suggesting they may have
large effects on the documented spatial variation of phytoplankton
and larvae on the inner shelf. The timing of the
waves suggests they are not formed by tides interacting with
bathymetry, but are generated by buoyant plume propagation.
Genre Article
Topic Internal wave packets
Identifier Woodson, C. B., et al. (2011), Observations of internal wave packets propagating along‐shelf in northern Monterey Bay, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L01605, doi:10.1029/2010GL045453

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