Intermittent large amplitude internal waves observed in Port Susan, Puget Sound

A previously unreported internal tidal bore, which evolves into solitary internal wave packets, was observed in Port Susan, Puget Sound, and the timing, speed, and amplitude of the waves were measured by CTD and visual observation. Acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements were attempted...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inEstuarine, coastal and shelf science Vol. 194; pp. 143 - 149
Main Authors Harris, J.C., Decker, L.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 15.07.2017
Elsevier
Subjects
Civil Engineering
Coastal waters
Engineering Sciences
Environmental Sciences
Internal waves
Korteweg-de Vries equation
Mixing processes
Tidal effects
Korteweg-de Vries equation
Coastal waters
Mixing processes
Tidal effects
Internal waves
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:A previously unreported internal tidal bore, which evolves into solitary internal wave packets, was observed in Port Susan, Puget Sound, and the timing, speed, and amplitude of the waves were measured by CTD and visual observation. Acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements were attempted, but unsuccessful. The waves appear to be generated with the ebb flow along the tidal flats of the Stillaguamish River, and the speed and width of the resulting waves can be predicted from second-order KdV theory. Their eventual dissipation may contribute significantly to surface mixing locally, particularly in comparison with the local dissipation due to the tides. Visually the waves appear in fair weather as a strong foam front, which is less visible the farther they propagate.
ISSN:0272-7714
1096-0015
DOI:10.1016/j.ecss.2017.04.022