Mode 2 Internal Waves in the Ocean:
Evidences from Observations
Andrey N. Serebryany
Introduction
Until recently, it was believed that the higher modes of internal waves predicted by
the theory are not very common in the real ocean. Indeed, it was reported about
ubiquitous observations in the ocean of internal waves of the first mode, while
observations of internal waves of higher modes in the ocean were rare. In recent
years, the situation changed and reports began to appear about the observations of
internal waves of mode 2. In this relation we mention the South China Sea where
extensive internal wave studies have been conducted in the past decade, which have
revealed the frequent occurrence of the second mode in intense internal waves,
especially in winter. In this contribution, we present experimental evidences of
internal wave mode 2 from our observations that we have performed in various
regions of the ocean. In particular, we will consider examples from the observations
over the Mascarene Ridge, in the Luzon Strait, and on the Black Sea shelf.
Mode 2 Waves Over the Mascarene Ridge
Oceanic ridges are special places in the ocean from the point of view of internal
waves: internal waves of maximum amplitudes are observed over submarine ridges
[1, 2]. A classic example of such location is the Mascarene Ridge in the Indian
Ocean, where many measurements of internal waves were conducted [3, 4]. During
the research cruise of the R/V “Academician Nikolai Andreyev” in November–
December 1990 we collected the data on the generation of large-amplitude internal
waves of mode 2 in this region [3].
A. N. Serebryany ( ✉ )
Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
e-mail: Serebryany@hotmail.com
© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018
M. G. Velarde et al. (eds.), The Ocean in Motion, Springer Oceanography,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71934-4_15
211
Evidences from Observations
Andrey N. Serebryany
Introduction
Until recently, it was believed that the higher modes of internal waves predicted by
the theory are not very common in the real ocean. Indeed, it was reported about
ubiquitous observations in the ocean of internal waves of the first mode, while
observations of internal waves of higher modes in the ocean were rare. In recent
years, the situation changed and reports began to appear about the observations of
internal waves of mode 2. In this relation we mention the South China Sea where
extensive internal wave studies have been conducted in the past decade, which have
revealed the frequent occurrence of the second mode in intense internal waves,
especially in winter. In this contribution, we present experimental evidences of
internal wave mode 2 from our observations that we have performed in various
regions of the ocean. In particular, we will consider examples from the observations
over the Mascarene Ridge, in the Luzon Strait, and on the Black Sea shelf.
Mode 2 Waves Over the Mascarene Ridge
Oceanic ridges are special places in the ocean from the point of view of internal
waves: internal waves of maximum amplitudes are observed over submarine ridges
[1, 2]. A classic example of such location is the Mascarene Ridge in the Indian
Ocean, where many measurements of internal waves were conducted [3, 4]. During
the research cruise of the R/V “Academician Nikolai Andreyev” in November–
December 1990 we collected the data on the generation of large-amplitude internal
waves of mode 2 in this region [3].
A. N. Serebryany ( ✉ )
Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
e-mail: Serebryany@hotmail.com
© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018
M. G. Velarde et al. (eds.), The Ocean in Motion, Springer Oceanography,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71934-4_15
211