Wave Beams Mix and Stir the Ocean to Create Climate
Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - 11:52
in Earth & Climate
Waves deep within the ocean play an important role in establishing ocean circulation, arising when tidal currents oscillate over an uneven ocean bottom. The internal waves generated by this process stir and mix the ocean, bringing cold, deep water to the surface to be warmed by the sun. This week in the Physics of Fluids, investigators how to tell which way internal waves will go. The proposed theory unifies several previously understood explanations of wave propagation.