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Science 18 July 2003:
Vol. 301. no. 5631, pp. 355 - 357
DOI: 10.1126/science.1085837
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Reports

From Tides to Mixing Along the Hawaiian Ridge

Daniel L. Rudnick,1* Timothy J. Boyd,2 Russell E. Brainard,3 Glenn S. Carter,4 Gary D. Egbert,2 Michael C. Gregg,4 Peter E. Holloway,5 Jody M. Klymak,2 Eric Kunze,4 Craig M. Lee,4 Murray D. Levine,2 Douglas S. Luther,6 Joseph P. Martin,1 Mark A. Merrifield,6 James N. Moum,2 Jonathan D. Nash,2 Robert Pinkel,1 Luc Rainville,1 Thomas B. Sanford4

The cascade from tides to turbulence has been hypothesized to serve as a major energy pathway for ocean mixing. We investigated this cascade along the Hawaiian Ridge using observations and numerical models. A divergence of internal tidal energy flux observed at the ridge agrees with the predictions of internal tide models. Large internal tidal waves with peak-to-peak amplitudes of up to 300 meters occur on the ridge. Internal-wave energy is enhanced, and turbulent dissipation in the region near the ridge is 10 times larger than open-ocean values. Given these major elements in the tides-to-turbulence cascade, an energy budget approaches closure.

1 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA 92093–0213, USA. 2 College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. 3 Honolulu Laboratory, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), 2570 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822–2396, USA. 4 Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. 5 School of Geography and Oceanography, University of New South Wales, Canberra ACT 2600, Australia. 6 Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: drudnick{at}ucsd.edu

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H. Staudigel, S. R. Hart, A. Pile, B. E. Bailey, E. T. Baker, S. Brooke, D. P. Connelly, L. Haucke, C. R. German, I. Hudson, et al. (2006)
PNAS 103, 6448-6453
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