Climate‐Driven Stratification Intensifies Internal Wave Cooling on a Shallow Island Reef

• Published in: Geophysical research letters Vol. 52; no. 14
• Main Authors: Rogers, Justin S., Tan, Shuwen, Davis, Kristen A., Pawlak, Geno, Fringer, Oliver B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington John Wiley & Sons, Inc 28.07.2025; Wiley
• Subjects: Atolls; Benthic environment; Benthos; Bottom temperature; Climate; climate change; Cooling; coral reef; Global warming; Internal tides; Internal waves; Ocean temperature; Ocean warming; Oceans; Refuges; Refugia; Stratification; Surface temperature; Temperature changes; upwelling; Wave propagation; Waves

As ocean temperatures rise, understanding the cooling role of internal waves is crucial for reef preservation. Climate‐induced surface warming increases stratification, altering internal wave propagation. We use high‐resolution, nonhydrostatic simulations at Dongsha Atoll in the South China Sea to e...