High-resolution surveys of internal tidal waves in Monterey Bay, California, using an autonomous underwater vehicle
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Authors
Cazenave, François
Zhang, Yanwu
McPhee-Shaw, Erika
Bellingham, James G.
Stanton, Timothy P.
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Date of Issue
2011
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Abstract
Temperature measured at the Monterey Inner Shelf Observatory (MISO) in southern Monterey Bay reveals
frequent solitons and semidiurnal internal tidal bores (ITBs). A field study was undertaken to determine whether
these features originate offshore and propagate shoreward over the continental shelf, and to characterize their
evolution as they propagate. We developed a new survey method of using an autonomous underwater vehicle
(AUV) to tightly track the thermocline along a 4.5 km transect, repeated 18 times over 18 hours, thereby measuring
the internal-wave induced isotherm displacement at very high resolution. AUV measurements were compared
with measurements at MISO, which is closer to shore. Internal waves of various scales were captured. An
ITB of amplitude greater than 20 m propagating shoreward from the outer bay was the dominant feature. Rapid
changes in stratification, possibly due to horizontal advection, were also observed. Technical challenges, advantages,
and future improvements of this new AUV survey method are discussed. This study demonstrates that
AUVs are efficient tools for surveying internal tidal waves.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.4319/lom.2011.9.571
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Oceanography
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Citation
Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, Volume 9, 2011, pp. 571-581
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.