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Abstract:
Changes to wind forcing can readily generate near inertial waves (NIWs) that propagate downwards from the ocean surface. In this study, we investigate secondary, topographically generated inertial waves that that are excited by the signal at the surface, and the conditions under which they might arise. Such waves would make up part of the internal wave spectrum in the ocean, and we aim to understand how significant a contribution they would make. We hypothesise that the inertial oscillations of interface heights near the surface result in oscillations in bottom pressure, which in the presence of appropriate topography could generate upwards propagating internal waves. An analytic representation of these secondary waves has been developed, which agrees with the findings of our numerical experiments within appropriate dynamical regimes in which we perturb topography height, stratification and the wind profile. Preliminary results suggest that these waves could be up to 10% of the strength of near inertial waves found in the same domain under certain conditions.
