Seasonal M2 Internal Tides in the Arabian Sea

• Published in: Remote sensing (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13; no. 14; p. 2823
• Main Authors: Ma, Jingyi, Guo, Daquan, Zhan, Peng, Hoteit, Ibrahim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 18-07-2021
• Subjects: Altimeters; Arabian Sea; Datasets; Energy; Energy distribution; energy flux; internal tides; Propagation; Remote sensing; satellite; Satellite tracking; Satellites; Sea level; Seasonal variations; Tides; Topography; Indian Ocean; Arabian Sea
• ISSN: 2072-4292; 2072-4292
• DOI: 10.3390/rs13142823

Internal tides play a crucial role in ocean mixing. To explore the seasonal features of mode-1 M2 internal tides in the Arabian Sea, we analyzed their propagation and energy distribution using along-track sea-level anomaly data collected by satellite altimeters. We identified four primary source regions of internal tides: Abd al Kuri Island, the Carlsberg Ridge, the northeastern Arabian Sea, and the Maldive Islands. The baroclinic signals that originate from Abd al Kuri Island propagate meridionally, whereas those originating from the west coast of India propagate southwestward. The strength and energy flux of the internal tides in the Arabian Sea exhibit significant seasonal and spatial variability. The internal tides generated during winter are more energetic and can propagate further than those generated in summer. Doppler shifting and horizontal variations in stratification can explain the differences in the internal tides’ seasonal distributions.