Disentangling discrete and continuous spectra of tidally forced internal waves in shear flow

TL;DR

This paper analytically distinguishes between regular eigenmodes and singular solutions in tidally forced internal waves within shear flows, revealing their roles in energy conversion and wave dynamics, including potential wave breaking.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analytical framework that separates discrete and continuous spectra of internal waves, extending classical energy conversion formulas to include both contributions.

Findings

Identification of regions with unbounded energy growth in wavenumber-frequency space.

Demonstration that far-field responses include standing waves and wave packets.

Derivation of an extended energy conversion formula incorporating both spectra.

Abstract

Generation of internal waves driven by barotropic tides over seafloor topography is a central issue in developing mixing and wave drag parameterizations for ocean circulation models. Traditional analytical approaches estimate the energy conversion rate from barotropic tides to internal waves using a modal expansion of the wave field. However, this framework becomes inadequate if a background shear flow is present, as singular solutions associated with critical levels emerge. To uncover the distinct roles of regular eigenmodes and singular solutions in tidal energy conversion, this study analytically investigates wave generation over a localized small topography in the presence of shear flow without Coriolis force. Applying horizontal Fourier and temporal Laplace transforms, we identify regions in the topographic wavenumber and forcing frequency space where unbounded energy growth occurs. These regions coincide with the spectrum of an operator governing free wave propagation and consist of discrete and continuous parts, which correspond to regular eigenmodes and singular solutions, respectively. Asymptotic evaluation of the Fourier integral reveals that the far-field response comprises standing wave trains linked to the discrete spectrum and evolving wave packets associated with the continuous spectrum. While the velocity amplitudes of the wave packets decay, their vertical velocity gradients grow during propagation, potentially leading to wave breaking. Finally, we derive a formula for the net barotropic-to-baroclinic energy conversion rate, extending the classical one by incorporating the contributions from both the discrete and continuous spectra.