Generation characteristics of internal solitary waves in the Northern Andaman sea based on MODIS observations and numerical simulations

Abstract

The generation characteristics of internal solitary waves (ISWs) in the northern Andaman Sea are studied using remote sensing data and numerical simulations. The dataset comprises 230 images taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from 2020 to 2023, which reveal two distinct propagation directions of ISWs: southeastward (type-SE) and southwestward (type-SW). Generation hotspots are identified at the southern sill of the Preparis South Channel for type-SE ISWs and over the eastern shelf break for type-SW ISWs. Here, ISWs are intermittently generated, resulting in wave-free spatial gaps. The observed gaps motivate the hypothesis that ISWs are phase-locked with semidiurnal tides, resulting in specific generation time windows around slack tides. This study also reveals that the generation of ISWs is closely related to tidal ranges, with larger tidal ranges leading to more frequent ISWs. Specifically, type-SE and type-SW ISWs are detected only when the tidal range exceeds 1.3 m and 1.4 m, respectively. Numerical simulations with the MIT general circulation model further show that both types of ISWs are generated by nonlinear steepening of internal tides. The influence of background currents on ISW generation is also examined, which supports the proposed generation time window hypothesis. These findings highlight spatial gaps are attributable to the synergistic effects of MODIS observation times and intermittent generation of ISWs.