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A coupled wave–tide–circulation model is used to investigate wave–current interactions (WCIs) over the shelf waters of the Northwest Atlantic (NWA) during Hurricane Earl (2010). WCIs have substantial impacts on hydrodynamics in the upper ocean. The significant wave heights are modulated by WCIs, particularly over regions with strong current gradients, with a reduction up to ~2.1 m (20%) during the storm. Noticeable decreases in surface elevations and tidal currents occur in regions with strong tides such as the Gulf of Maine, mainly due to the wave-enhanced bottom stress. Over regions with weak tidal currents, wave effects on currents are dominated by two competitive processes between wave-induced forces and wave-enhanced mixing. The former strengthens surface currents (up to ~0.55 m/s) and increases the peak storm surge (up to ~0.48 m). The latter is responsible for the reduction in storm-induced surface currents (up to ~0.94 m/s) and anticyclonic modulation of current directions. Vertically, WCIs extend the strong vertical current shear and shift it downward during the storm, which enhances the local mixing and changes the structures of near-inertial oscillations (NIOs). Moreover, tidal currents also change the magnitudes of the NIOs and subtidal currents and affect the intensity of WCIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A coupled wave–tide–circulation model is used to investigate wave–current interactions (WCIs) over the shelf waters of the Northwest Atlantic (NWA) during Hurricane Earl (2010). WCIs have substantial impacts on hydrodynamics in the upper ocean. The significant wave heights are modulated by WCIs, particularly over regions with strong current gradients, with a reduction up to ~2.1 m (20%) during the storm. Noticeable decreases in surface elevations and tidal currents occur in regions with strong tides such as the Gulf of Maine, mainly due to the wave-enhanced bottom stress. Over regions with weak tidal currents, wave effects on currents are dominated by two competitive processes between wave-induced forces and wave-enhanced mixing. The former strengthens surface currents (up to ~0.55 m/s) and increases the peak storm surge (up to ~0.48 m). The latter is responsible for the reduction in storm-induced surface currents (up to ~0.94 m/s) and anticyclonic modulation of current directions. Vertically, WCIs extend the strong vertical current shear and shift it downward during the storm, which enhances the local mixing and changes the structures of near-inertial oscillations (NIOs). Moreover, tidal currents also change the magnitudes of the NIOs and subtidal currents and affect the intensity of WCIs.

Horizontal variations of near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) in the northeastern South China Sea after the passage of typhoon Kalmaegi were investigated by using a three-dimensional Price-Weller-Pinkel (3DPWP) model. The 3DPWP model was modified by considering simple viscosity terms and the real topography to better simulate the typhoon-forced NIOs. The model results can generally match the observations. According to the model results, the horizontal structure of typhoon-forced NIOs is somewhat like a series of ellipses propagating northwestward with their centers parallel to the track of typhoon. The order of near-inertial wavelength is about 500 km. On the left side of the track, the near-inertial kinetic energy (NIKE) is weak and decreases quickly with distance. However, on the right side, NIKE increases from center of typhoon, gets the maximum at about one and a half radius of maximum wind speed (R max ) , and then decreases quickly. Several sensitivity experiments were designed to investigate the effect of R max , the maximum wind speed ( V max ) and the moving velocity of typhoon ( U m ) on NIOs. As R max increases, the influence scope of NIOs narrows, whilst increases of V max and U m tend to enlarge the influence scope. When three parameters increase by 10%, the corresponding NIKE increases by 18%, 38% and 19%, respectively, revealing that V max has the most effect. The moving of typhoon is a major reason for horizontal propagation of NIOs. When typhoon is stationary, the time-averaged and depth-integrated NIKE is about only 3.5% of the total kinetic energy input by typhoon, and the induced NICs are much less than those induced by a moving typhoon. • Typhoon-induced near-inertial oscillations propagate horizontally in form of ellipses with centers parallel to typhoon track. • The maximum wind speed of typhoon has the most effect on the near-inertial kinetic energy (NIKE). • NIKE increases (decreases) with distance within (beyond) about 1.5 radius of maximum wind speed on the right side of track. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution downscaling ocean modeling was conducted to investigate the impacts of two super typhoons on the Kuroshio in the fall of 2014 off the Kyushu and Shikoku Islands, Japan. The model result was compared with field observations and satellite altimetry. The synoptic and mesoscale oceanic structures around the Kuroshio exhibit a good reproducibility. The typhoons generated near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) and near-inertial internal waves (NIIWs) around the Kuroshio path, particularly on the right side of the typhoon tracks. The NIOs developed in the mixed layer to alter the direction of the Kuroshio by ~30°. The associated velocity off the Shikoku and Kyushu Islands was significantly decelerated by ~0.2 ms −1 . The velocity almost vanished off Kyushu Island and thus induced an unstable fluctuating path shortly after both typhoons passed over that region. The NIIWs were also excited at the thermocline, resulting in the oscillation of the Kuroshio path occurred in the entire water column. In contrast, off Shikoku Island, the typhoons shifted the Kuroshio path northward to enhance the interactions with the topographies. This shift caused considerable eddy shedding from the capes that resulted in mesoscale counterclockwise circulations as cyclonic quasi-standing eddies with a shedding period of ~3 days in the north of the Kuroshio path. The magnitude, direction, and meridional location of the path of the Kuroshio prominently fluctuated with the propagation of these eddies, manifested off Shikoku Island. Furthermore, these eddies induced sporadic northward intrusions of the Kuroshio warm water through the Kii Channel into the Seto Inland Sea (SIS), where a weak but persisting southward outflow prevails under normal conditions. Therefore, the process could collectively be called the “typhoon-Kuroshio-eddy interaction”, which conceptually differs from the “typhoon-eddy-Kuroshio interaction” in the previous studies, where the Kuroshio was modulated by eddy collision. The wind stress curl and intrusions associated with the typhoons jointly provoked the inversion of the counterclockwise SIS residual circulation. The resultant spatially averaged volume flux was ~8 times as high as that under normal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oceanic response to a typhoon in the East China Sea (ECS) was examined using thermal and current structures obtained from ocean surface drifters and a bottom-moored current profiler installed on the right side of the typhoon's track. Typhoon Nari (2007) had strong winds as it passed the central region of the ECS. The thermal structure in the ECS responded to Typhoon Nari (2007) very quickly: the seasonal thermocline abruptly collapsed and the sea surface temperature dropped immediately by about 4°C after the typhoon passed. The strong vertical mixing and surface cooling caused by the typhoon resulted in a change in the thermal structure. Strong near-inertial oscillation occurred immediately after the typhoon passed and lasted for at least 4-5 days, during which a strong vertical current existed in the lower layer. Characteristics of the near-inertial internal oscillation were observed in the middle layer. The clockwise component of the inertial frequency was enhanced in the surface layer and at 63 m depth after the typhoon passed, with these layers almost perfectly out of phase. The vertical shear current was intensified by the interaction of the wind-driven current in the upper layer and the background semi-diurnal tidal current during the arrival of the typhoon, and also by the near-inertial internal oscillation after the typhoon passage. The strong near-inertial internal oscillation persisted without significant interfacial structure after the mixing of the thermocline, which could enhance the vertical mixing over several days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional, baroclinic, finite-volume ocean model (FVCOM) is used to examine hurricane induced responses in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. Hurricane Igor (2010) and Hurricane Leslie (2012) made landfall within 100 km of the mouth of the bay, with the former to the eastern side and the latter on the western side. The model results have reasonable agreement with field observations on sea level, near-surface currents and sea surface temperature (SST). During landfall the two hurricanes cause the opposite shifts in inner bay circulation. Hurricane Igor overwhelms the mean inflow into the inner bay and shifts the currents to outflow. Hurricane Leslie reinforces the inflow into the inner bay. The peak storm surge is significantly influenced by local wind and air pressure during Leslie, accounting for 34% and 62% at the Argentia and St. Lawrence tide-gauge stations respectively, but predominately due to remote forcing entering the upstream eastern open boundary during Igor. There is a strong near-surface near-inertial response during Leslie, but a weak one during Igor. Stratification plays an important role in both generation and dissipation of near-inertial oscillation. A strong pre-storm stratification during Leslie favours the generation of near-inertia oscillation. Strong turbulent mixing induced on the right side of Leslie generates large vertical movement of the thermocline and thus contributes to strong near-inertia oscillation inside the mixed layer. The barotropic simulation results in a significant underestimation of near-surface currents and near-inertial oscillation. The baroclinic simulation shows a large increase of the current gradient in the vertical, as the first baroclinic mode in response to the hurricane forcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) are important for maintaining turbulent mixing that affects ocean circulation, biogeochemistry, and climate. The spatial and temporal variability of NIOs in the deep part of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) has rarely been reported. In this study, a collection of moored current observations was used to examine the spatiotemporal variability of NIOs in the GoM. In the upper layer (0–800 m), a strong seasonal variability of NIOs appears in the eastern GoM with larger amplitudes in winter than in summer and is attributed to the seasonal variability of surface winds and mixed layer depth. In the bottom layer (within 400 m above the bottom), strong NIOs are found in the middle and eastern GoM and show weaker seasonal variability. While winds still matter for the seasonal variability of NIOs in the bottom layer in the eastern GoM, low-frequency flows generally play a more important role in regulating NIOs through interactions with topography, particularly on the continental slope. • In the upper 800 m of eastern, northwestern GoM, NIOs are the strongest in winter. • Stronger upper-layer NIOs in winter are related to winds and mixed layer depth. • In the bottom 400 m, strong NIOs are found in the middle and eastern GoM. • Strong bottom-layer NIOs are related to background flow-topography interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upper-ocean responses to Typhoon Megi (2010) are investigated using data from ARGO floats and the satellite TMI. The experiments are conducted using a three-dimensional Princeton Ocean Model (POM) to assess the storm, which affected the Northwest Pacific Ocean (NWP) and the South China Sea (SCS). Results show that the upwelling and entrainment experiment together account for 93% of the SST anomalies, where typhoon-induced upwelling may cause strong ocean cooling. In addition, the anomalous SST cooling is stronger in the SCS than in the NWP. The most striking feature of the ocean response is the presence of a two-layer inertial wave in the SCS-a feature that is absent in the NWP. The near-inertial oscillations can be generated as typhoon wakes, which have maximum flow velocity in the surface mixed layer and may last for a few days, after the typhoon's passage. Along the typhoon tracks, the horizontal currents in the upper ocean show a series of alternating negative and positive anomalies emanating from the typhoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With moorings equipped with Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) in the northern South China Sea (SCS) in 2008 and 2009, we observed three near-inertial oscillation (NIO) events coded 2008a, 2009a and 2009b induced by passages of typhoons or tropical storms. This study compares characteristics of the three NIO events. Event 2008a was the strongest one among the three, and had the longest sustaining period (15 d), while events 2009a and 2009b sustained for only 4 and 8 d, respectively. The three events were distinguished by vertical energy distribution and phase propagation. As for the frequency shift of the NIO, event 2008a had a peak frequency lower than the local Coriolis frequency (red-shift), while events 2009a and 2009b showed blue-shift. The behavior of individual NIO event is jointly decided by the typhoon disturbance and the background ocean condition. Especially the background flow plays an important role by effects of advection and modulation. The results in this study provide observational evidence of variational NIO response to background flow field. As indicated by the distribution of vorticity and effective Coriolis frequency derived from numerical modeling, the large amplitude and elongated sustaining period of event 2008a were attributed to the waveguide effect of the background shear flow. This effect redistributed the NIO energy after the typhoon passage, absorbed incident waves and trapped energy in the area of the negative vorticity. While the background flow during events 2009a and 2009b did not have such effects due to the near-zero vorticity in the mooring area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrodynamic responses of the northern South China Sea (nSCS) to Typhoon Linfa in 2009 are examined using observations and model results. A shelf circulation model based on the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS-nSCS) is used in quantifying the important physical processes affecting the storm-induced changes in circulation and hydrography in the upper ocean during Linfa. The ROMS-nSCS is forced by atmospheric forcing taken from the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR). A parametric vortex is inserted into the CFSR atmospheric forcing to improve winds and sea-level air pressures associated with Linfa. The lateral open boundary condition of ROMS-nSCS is specified based on the global ocean circulation reanalysis produced by the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). The simulated upper ocean circulation produced by ROMS-nSCS is characterized by strong wind-driven currents over the area affected directly by Linfa and intense near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) in the wake of Linfa. The simulated cooling in the wake of the storm is biased to the right of the storm track and agrees well with satellite-derived analysis data. The simulated NIOs also have significant rightward biases. The rotary spectral analysis of model currents demonstrates that the peak frequency f p of NIOs is about 9% greater than the local inertial frequency, which can be explained mostly by the vorticity of the background circulation. Analysis of model results also reveal that different dynamics are responsible for storm-induced cooling at different stages of Linfa. In the early development stage of Linfa, the cooling in the wake of the storm is affected mostly by the storm-induced advection in the vertical. In the mature stage of Linfa, the cooling in the wake of the storm is dominated by the joint effect of the storm-induced mixing and advection. Storm-induced warming occurs outside the wake of Linfa, due to downwelling generated by the storm. • Storm-induced changes in circulation and temperature during Typhoon Linfa were studied. • Both storm-induced upwelling and vertical mixing play important roles for cooling in the wake of Linfa. • Storm-induced cooling and near-inertial oscillations during Linfa are affected by background flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Based on moored observations and remote sensing data in July and August 2005, energy sources for enhancing turbulent mixing and possible mechanisms of phytoplankton bloom in the continental shelf southeast of Hainan Island under the influence of Washi, a fast-moving and weak tropical storm, are analyzed in this paper. Observations show that strong near-inertial internal waves were generated by the rapidly changing wind stress and the near-inertial energy was dissipated quickly across the thermocline. The strong turbulent mixing associated with the near-inertial baroclinic shear instability occurred with maximum eddy diffusivity above 3.2×10−4 m2 s−1, and the surface chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration after the storm increased by 22.2%. The Chl-a concentration augment was inferred to be an upper ocean biophysical response to the enhanced near-inertial turbulent mixing which could increase the upward nutrient flux into the surface low eutrophic zone during the passage of Washi. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Wind-induced near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) have been known to propagate their energy downward and equatorward, yet few observations have confirmed this in tropical regions. Using measurements from a moored ADCP in the tropical north- western Pacific, we report an energetic NIO event associated with Typhoon Rammasun in May 2008, when an anti-cyclonic warm eddy existed around the mooring site. Our analyses reveal that the anti-cyclonic eddy traps the NIO energy at two layers around 120 and 210 m where the buoyancy frequency show high values. The NIO energy continuously decays at layers below its maximum at 210 m, and disappears at depths below the thermocline. During their propagation from 137 to 649 stretched- meter depths (equivalent to 100 - 430 m), NIOs shift their frequencies from 0.92f to 1.05f probably due to the effective f, which changes its magnitude from smaller to larger than local inertial frequency f in the anti-cyclonic eddy. In addition, their vertical energy propagation becomes faster from 0.17 to 0.64 mm s-1. Decomposition of downward and upward NIO energy propagation shows that the typhoon-induced NIOs remain 29% of their energy in the upper layer, and transfer 71% to the subsurface layers. Our results suggest that typhoon-induced NIOs interacting with meso-scale eddies can play an important role in providing the energy source available for ocean mixing in the tropical regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the South China Sea monsoon experiment (SCSMEX), three autonomous temperature line acquisition system (ATLAS) buoys with acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) were moored in the South China Sea to measure temperature, salinity and current velocity. Typhoon Faith passed through about 250 km south to one of the mooring buoys located at 12°58.5′N, 114°24.5′E from December 11 to 14, 1998. The data analysis indicates that the typhoon winds induce a great increase in the kinetic energy at near-inertial frequencies with two maxima in the mixed layer and thermocline. The near-inertial oscillations were observed at the upper 270 m in the wake of Typhoon Faith. The oscillations were originally excited in the sea surface layer and propagated downward. The amplitudes of the oscillations decrease with depth except in the thermocline. The near-inertial oscillation signals are also remarkable in temperature and salinity fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A near-inertial oscillation (NIO) burst event in the west South China Sea (SCS) was observed by an upward-looking mooring Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) in summer 2004. The mooring station was located at 13.99°N, 110.52°E. The spectral analysis reveals that typhoon Chanchu is a major mechanism in triggering the NIO burst event. Before typhoon Chanchu passed over, the NIO signals were quite weak. The NIO band becomes the most energetic constituent of the circulation during the typhoon-wake period. The average peak power density (PD) reaches (5.3 ± 2.6) × 10 cms (cycles per hour, cph) with a maximum value of 9.0 × 10 cms cph, i.e., 3.1 times higher than that of diurnal tide (DT), (1.7 ± 0.5) × 10 cms cph. At the upper (80 m) and sub-upper (208 m) layers, the central frequency of the NIO band is 0.022 cph with a blueshift of about 9% above the inertial frequency f (0.02015 cph). At the lower layer (400 m), the central frequency of the NIO band is 0.021 cph with a blueshift of about 4% above the inertial frequency. The blueshifts are explained partially by the Doppler shift induced by the vorticity of mesoscale eddies. During the after-typhoon period, a resonance-like process between NIO and DT is observed in the upper layer. As the NIO frequency approaches the DT subharmonic frequency (0.5K), the PD of the NIO band rises sharply accompanied by a sharp drop of the PD of the DT band. The PD ratio of the two bands increases from 4.5 during the typhoon-wake period to 8 during the after-typhoon period, indicating the effect of the parametric subharmonic instability (PSI) mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With observational data from three Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) moorings, we detected strong near-inertial oscillations (NIO) in the continental shelf region of the northern South China Sea in July 2008. The amplitude of the near-inertial current velocity is much greater than that of diurnal and semi-diurnal tides. The power of the NIOs is strongest in the intermediate layer, relatively weak in the surface layer, and insignificant in the near-bottom layer. The spectral analysis indicates that the NIOs have a peak frequency of 0.0307 cph, which is 2% lower than the local inertial frequency, i.e., a red-shift. The near-inertial wave has an upward vertical phase velocity, which involves a downward group velocity and energy flux. The estimated vertical phase velocity is about 43 m day, corresponding to a vertical wave length of about 58 m. The horizontal scale of the NIOs is at least hundreds of kilometers. This NIO event lasted for about 15 days after a typhoon's passage. Given the northeastward background flow with significant horizontal shear, both Doppler shift and shear flow modulation mechanisms may be responsible for the red-shift of the observed NIOs. For the shear flow mechanism, the observed negative background vorticity and the corresponding effective Coriolis frequency reduce the lower limit of admissible frequency band for the NIOs, causing the red-shift. Meanwhile, the mooring area with the broadened frequency band acts as a wave-guide. The trapping and amplification effects lead to the relatively long sustaining period of the observed NIOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous observation of sea water temperature and current was made at Wenchang Station (19°35′N, 112°E) in 2005. The data collected indicate vigorous internal waves of both short periods and tidal and near-inertial periods. The temperature and current time series during 18–30 September were examined to describe the upper ocean internal wave field response to Typhoon Damrey (0518). The strong wind associated with the typhoon, which passed over the sea area about 45 km south of Wenchang Station on 25 September, deepened the mixed layer depth remarkably. It decreased the mixed layer temperature while increasing the deep layer temperature, and intensified the near-inertial and high-frequency fluctuations of temperature and current. Power spectra of temperature and current time series indicate significant deviations from those obtained by using the deep ocean internal wave models characterized by a power law. The frequency spectra were dominated by three energetic bands: around the inertial frequency (7.75×10−6 Hz), tidal frequencies (1.0×10−5 to 2.4×10−5 Hz), and between 1.4×10−4 and 8.3×10−4 Hz. Dividing the field data into three phases (before, during and after the typhoon), we found that the typhoon enhanced the kinetic energy in nearly all the frequency bands, especially in the surface water. The passage of Damrey made a major contribution to the horizontal kinetic energy of the total surface current variances. The vertical energy density distribution, with its peak value at the surface, was an indication that the energy injected by the strong wind into the surface current could penetrate downward to the thermocline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical investigation of Hurricane Gilbert (1988) effect on the Loop Current warm core eddy (WCE) in the Gulf of Mexico is performed using the Modular Ocean Model version 2 (MOM2). Results show that the storm-induced maximum sea surface temperature (SST) decrease in Gilbert’s wake is over 2.5°C, as compared with the 3.5°C cooling in the absence of the WCE. The near-inertial oscillation in the wake reduces significantly in an along-track direction with the presence of the WCE. This effect is also reflected between the mixed layer and the thermocline, where the current directions are reversed with the upper layer. After two inertial periods (IP), the current reversal is much less obvious. In addition, it is demonstrated that Hurricane Gilbert wind stress increases the current speed of the WCE by approximate 133%. With the forcing of Gilbert, the simulated translation direction and speed of the WCE towards the Mexican coast are closer to the observed (42% more accurate in distance and 78% more accurate in direction) compared with the simulation without the Gilbert forcing. The simulated ocean response to Gilbert generally agrees with the recent observations in Hurricane Fabian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow Sea (YS) is highly stratified seasonally due to the presence of the bottom cold water (BCW), also called the YS Cold Water Mass (YSCWM). Intermittent measurements from June 2009 to August 2014 show that the near-inertial oscillation (NIO) can be excited by synoptic weather systems during the presence of the YSCWM between March and October. The magnitude of the NIOs depends on both the wind work and the water stratification. Thus, extreme wind events, such as tropical cyclones, destratify the shallow water and are unfavorable for NIOs. In general, the NIO induced by individual synoptic system is weak, but the event occurred from 6 to 22 July 2009 excited by four extratropical cyclones can result in a near-inertial current speed of 0.3 ms−1. The average wind work during this event was 1.32 × 10−3 Wm−2, and estimates of 42.67 MW energy transferred from wind into the YS during this event. However, only 6.1%~8.4% of the wind work can be transited into the BCW interior. Budget analysis indicates most energy is dissipated to mix the highly stratified water rather than damped by the bottom friction. The NIO frequency blueshift in the vertical also indicates higher energy dissipation between different layers. The decline of the YSCWM weakens the vertical stratification and thus the growth of NIOs. The calculation of wind work depends on the computation of wind drag coefficient and the conversion from wind measured height to 10 m above surface. In general, there is about 10% difference on wind work by using different methods. • Wind work is comparable in seasonally stratified shallow water to that in midlatitude deep ocean. • The downward energy flux is less than 10% of the wind work due to high stratification in shallow water. • Tropical cyclones destratifies the shallow water and thus restrain the near-inertial oscillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]