1/10/2016

Researchersfindexplanationforinteractinggiant,hiddenoceanwaves|MITNews

OceanengineerfromMIT,theUniverit
ofMinneotaatDuluth,andtheWood
HoleOceanographicIntitutionhave
accuratelimulatedthemotionof
internaltidealongahelfreakcalled
theMiddleAtlanticightaregionoff
thecoatoftheeaternU..that
tretchefromCapeCodin
MaachuetttoCapeHatterainNorth
Carolina.
Image:Googlearth

Reearcherfindexplanationforinteractinggiant,
hiddenoceanwave
etterimulationofinternaltidemaenefitonarcommunication,protect
offhoretructure,andmore.
JenniferChu|MITNewOffice
eptemer28,2016
Incertainpartoftheocean,towering,low-motionrollercoatercalledinternaltidetrundle
alongformile,riingandfallingforhundredoffeetintheoceaninteriorwhilemaking
arelarippleattheurface.Theegiant,hiddenwellarereponileforalternatel

RLATD

Paper:Internal-tideinteractionwiththeGulf
treamandMiddleAtlanticighthelfreak
front

drawingwarmurfacewaterdowntothedeepoceanandpullingmarinenutrientupfrom
thea.

Paper:Coupled-modehallowWatermodelfor
tidalanali:Internal-tidereflectionand
refractiontheGulftream

Internaltidearegeneratedinpartdifferenceinwaterdenit,andcreatedalong
continentalhelfreak,whereahalloweaflooruddenldropofflikeacliff,creatinga
ettingwherelighterwatermeetdenerea.Inuchregion,tideontheurfaceproduce

PierreLermuiaux

ocillating,verticalcurrent,whichinturngeneratewaveelowtheurface,attheinterface
etweenwarmer,hallowwater,andcolder,deeperwater.Theeuurfacewavearecalled
internaltide,atheareinternaltotheoceanandtravelattheamefrequencaurface

Multidiciplinarimulation,timation,and
Aimilationtem

tide.Internaltidearelargelcalminomeregionutcanecomechaoticnearhelf
reak,wherecientithaveeenunaletopredicttheirpath.

DepartmentofMechanicalngineering

Nowforthefirttime,oceanengineerandcientitfromMIT,theUniveritofMinneotaat
Duluth(UMD),andtheWoodHoleOceanographicIntitution(WHOI)haveaccuratel

choolofngineering

imulatedthemotionofinternaltidealongahelfreakcalledtheMiddleAtlanticighta
regionoffthecoatoftheeaternU..thattretchefromCapeCodinMaachuettto
CapeHatterainNorthCarolina.Thefoundthatthetidechaoticpatterntherecoulde

ARCHIV

explainedtwooceanictructure:theoceanfrontatthehelfreakitelf,andtheGulf
treamapowerfulAtlanticcurrentthatflowome250mileouthofthehelfreak.

http://news.mit.edu/2016/researchersfindexplanationforinteractinggianthiddenoceanwaves0928

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Fromtheimulation,theteamoervedthatoththehelfreakandtheGulftreamcanact
amaiveoceanicwall,etweenwhichinternaltidericochetatangleandpeedthatthe
cientitcannowpredict.
ThereearcherhavepulihedtheirfindingintheJournalofGeophicalReearch:Ocean
andtheJournalofPhicalOceanograph.TheteamincludeamuelKell,anaitant
profeoratUMDwhowaapotdocatMITforthireearch;PierreLermuiaux,anaociate
profeorofmechanicalengineeringandoceancienceandengineeringatMIT;TimDuda,a
eniorcientitatWHOI;andPatrickHale,areearchcientitatMIT.
Lermuiauxatheteamimulationofinternaltidecouldhelptoimproveonar

Triggered
earthquakegive
inightintochange
elowarthurface
Reearcherunravel
ecretofhidden
wave

communicationandpredictecotemandfiherpopulation,awellaprotectoffhore
oilrigandprovideaetterundertandingoftheoceanroleinachangingclimate.

Makingwave

Internaltideareaigchunkofenergthatinputtotheoceaninteriorfromthecommon
[urface]tide,heexplain.Ifouknowhowthatenergidiipatedandwhereitgoe,ou
canprovideetterpredictionandetterundertandtheoceanandclimateingeneral.
Deadcalm
Theeffectofinternalwavewerefirtreportedinthelate1800,whenNorwegianailor,
attemptingtonavigateafjord,experiencedatrangephenomenon:venthoughthewater
urfaceappearedcalm,theirhipeemedtotronglreitailingforwardaphenomenon
laterdueddeadwater.

ometimethe
quicketpathinota
traightline
Predictingocean
motionand
underwateround

Itwouldedeadcalminthewater,andoudturnourhiponutitwouldntmove,
Lermuiauxa.Wh?ecauethehipigeneratinginternalwaveecaueofthedenit
differenceetweenthelightwaterontopandthealtwaterontheottominthefjord,that
keepouinplace.
incethen,cientithavefoundthaturfacetide,jutlikeinternaltide,aregenerated
thecclical,gravitationalpulloftheunandthemoon,andtraveletweendenit-varing
medium.urfacewavetravelattheoundaretweentheoceanandtheair,whileinternal
waveandinternaltideflowetweenwaterlaerofvaringdenit.
Whatpeopledidntreallknowwa,whcanthoeinternaltideeovarialeand
intermittent?Dudaa.
Followingthetide
Intheummerof2006,oceanographeremarkedonalarge-calecientificcruie,named
hallowWater06,togenerateadetailedpictureofhowoundwavetravelthrough
complexcoatalwater,pecificallalongpartoftheMiddleAtlanticightregion.The
experimentconfirmedthatinternaltidetemmedfromtheregionhelfreakatpredictale
interval.Puzzlingl,theexperimentalohowedthatinternaltidearrivedackatthehelf
reakatunpredictaletimeandlocation.
Onewouldthinkifthewereallgeneratedatthehelfreak,thewouldemoreorle
uniform,inandout,Lermuiauxa.
Toolvethipuzzle,Lermuiaux,Hale,andtheircolleagueincorporateddatafromthe2006
cruieintohdrodnamicimulationtorepreenttideinarealiticoceanenvironment.Thee
data-drivenimulationincludednotonltideutaloackgroundtructure,ucha
denitgradient,eddie,andcurrentuchatheGulftream,withwhichtidemight
interact.
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Aftercompletingmorethan2,500imulationoftheMiddleAtlanticightregion,the
oervedthatinternaltidegeneratedcloetothehelfreakeemedtoflowouttowardthe
ocean,onltoounceackoncethereachedtheGulftream.AtheGulftream
meandered,theexactdirectionandlocationoftheinternaltideecamemorevariale.
"Lookingattheinitialplotfromtheimulation,itwaoviouthatometpeofinteraction
wahappeningetweentheinternaltideandGulftream,Kella.uttheimulation
couldproduceahugenumerofcomplicatedinteractionandtherearelotoftheoriefor
differenttpeofinteraction.owetartedtetingdifferenttheorie.
Termofagreement
Thereearcheroughttofindmathematicalequationthatwoulddecrietheunderling
fluiddnamicthattheoervedintheirimulation.Todothi,thetartedwithanexiting
equationthatcharacterizetheehaviorofinternaltideutinvolveanidealizedcenario,
withlimitedinteractionwithotherfeature.Theteamaddednewinteractionterm,or
factor,intotheequationthatdecriedthednamicoftheGulftreamandthehelfreak
front,whichthederivedfromtheirdata-drivenimulation.
Itwareallexcitingwhenwewrotedownaetoflightlidealizedequationandawthat
theinternaltideextractedfromthecompleximulationwereoeingalmottheexactame
equation,"Kella.
ThematchetweentheirimulationandequationindicatedtothereearcherthattheGulf
treamandthehelfreakfrontwereindeedinfluencingtheehavioroftheinternaltide.
Withthiknowledge,thewerealetoaccuratelpredictthepeedandarrivaltimeof
internalwaveatthehelfreak,firtpredictingthetrengthandpoitionoftheGulf
treamovertime.Thealohowedthatthetrengthofthehelfreakfrontalterthepeed
andarrivaltimeofinternaltide.
TheteamicurrentlapplingtheirimulationtooceanicregionaroundMarthaVineard,
thePacificIland,andAutralia,whereinternaltidearehighlvarialeandtheirehavior
canhavealargeroleinhapingmarineecotemandmediatingtheeffectofclimate
change.
Ourworkhowthat,withdata-drivenimulation,oucanfindandaddmiingterm,and
reallexplaintheoceaninteraction,Lermuiauxa.Ifoulookatoceanoratmopheric
ciencetoda,undertandinginteractionoffeatureiwhereigquetionare.
ThireearchwafundedinparttheOfficeofNavalReearchandtheNationalcience
Foundation.

Topic:

Fluiddnamic

Oceanographandoceanengineering

Mechanicalengineering
choolofngineering

Oceancience
nvironment

Reearch

Water

WoodHole

NationalcienceFoundation(NF)

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ThiWeiteimaintainedtheMITNewOffice,partoftheOfficeofCommunication.

MITNewOfficeuilding11-400
MaachuettIntituteofTechnologCamridge,MA02139-4307

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