Mass Transport by Second Mode Internal Solitary Waves

The overall scientific objective of the proposed effort is to improve our understanding of the propagation and mass transport of internal solitary waves (ISW), particularly mode-2 ISW, and their significance for coastal ocean processes. In recent years numerous observations of mode-2 ISW have been reported so that it appears that such waveforms may be more prevalent than previously thought. Large amplitude mode-2 solitary waves have unique properties: in particular they encompass regions of internal recirculation that enable mass transport over large distances. Transport of mass along a pycnocline can affect upper ocean mixing and distribution of biological and chemical constituents. Moreover, coherent ISW packets can have significant effects on the propagation and scattering of acoustic signals.