Articles | Volume 19, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1357-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1357-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Spatial and temporal variability in mode-1 and mode-2 internal solitary waves from MODIS-Terra sun glint off the Amazon shelf
Carina Regina de Macedo
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Université du Littoral-Côte-d'Opale, Université Lille, CNRS, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, 32 avenue Foch, Wimereux, France
LEGOS, IRD, Université de Toulouse 3 (UTLSE3), CNES, CNRS, Toulouse, France
Ariane Koch-Larrouy
LEGOS, IRD, Université de Toulouse 3 (UTLSE3), CNES, CNRS, Toulouse, France
José Carlos Bastos da Silva
Department of Geosciences, Environment and Spatial Planning, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
Instituto de Ciências da Terra, Polo Porto, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
Jorge Manuel Magalhães
Department of Geosciences, Environment and Spatial Planning, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
CIIMAR, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal
Carlos Alessandre Domingos Lentini
Department of Earth and Environment Physics, Physics Institute, Ondina Campus, Federal University of Bahia – UFBA, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Department of Oceanography, Geosciences Institute, Campus Ondina, Federal University of Bahia – UFBA, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Interdisciplinary Center for Energy and Environment (CIEnAm), Federal University of Bahia – UFBA, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Trung Kien Tran
Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Université du Littoral-Côte-d'Opale, Université Lille, CNRS, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, 32 avenue Foch, Wimereux, France
Marcelo Caetano Barreto Rosa
Department of Oceanography, Geosciences Institute, Campus Ondina, Federal University of Bahia – UFBA, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Vincent Vantrepotte
Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Université du Littoral-Côte-d'Opale, Université Lille, CNRS, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG, 32 avenue Foch, Wimereux, France
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Using high-resolution satellite measurements, we observed how eddies off the Amazon shelf modify internal solitary waves. The results show that these waves can be deflected from their path, even split into two branches, and change their geometry when interacting with different types of eddies. This work provides new insight into the ocean’s complex dynamic interactions and could help guide future predictions of ocean behavior and its effects on coastal and marine ecosystems.
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New research reveals that ocean mixing off the Amazon coast peaks not only near wave origins but also 230 km offshore, where different wave paths may intersect. This overlap likely forms strong solitary waves that intensify turbulence. Based on the AMAZOMIX-2021 cruise, which collected direct turbulence measurements alongside hydrographic data, the study quantifies dissipation and the relative contributions of tidal shear and large-scale shear. This mixing helps redistribute heat and nutrients, playing a key role in climate regulation and marine ecosystems.
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We investigated how ocean tides influence marine phytoplankton along the North Brazilian coast. Using satellite data from 2005 to 2021, we found that tides can either enhance or reduce phytoplankton growth on the continental shelf. Offshore, internal tides stimulate primary production along their pathways. These results improve our understanding of how tidal processes shape marine life in tropical coastal regions.
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In the ocean off the Amazon shelf, internal waves caused by tides shift water layers through advection and mix them through turbulence, altering the deep chlorophyll maximum, a proxy for phytoplankton. Using an autonomous underwater glider and satellite data, we found these waves redistribute chlorophyll vertically, enhancing its supply at the surface and at depth. This redistribution supports ocean productivity and may impact the entire marine food web.
Erick Vinicius Correia da Cunha, Pedro Augusto Mendes de Castro Melo, Gabriel Bittencourt Farias, and Vincent Vantrepotte
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Twin simulations, with and without tides, are used to assess the impact of internal tides (ITs) on ocean temperature off the Amazon mouth at a seasonal scale. We found that in the surface layers, ITs and barotropic tides cause a cooling effect on sea surface temperature, subsequently leading to an increase in the net heat flux between the atmosphere and ocean. Vertical mixing is identified as the primary driver, followed by vertical and horizontal advection.
Edward D. Zaron, Tonia A. Capuano, and Ariane Koch-Larrouy
Ocean Sci., 19, 43–55, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-43-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-43-2023, 2023
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Short summary
We focus on the internal solitary waves (ISWs) off the Amazon shelf, their velocity, and their variability in seasonal and tidal cycles. The analysis is based on a large remote-sensing data set. The region is newly described as a hot spot for ISWs with mode-2 internal tide wavelength. The wave activity is higher during spring tides. The mode-1 waves located in the region influenced by the North Equatorial Counter Current showed a velocity/wavelength 14.3 % higher during the boreal summer/fall.
We focus on the internal solitary waves (ISWs) off the Amazon shelf, their velocity, and their...