Incoherent Nature of M2 Internal Tides at the Hawaiian Ridge

Abstract Moored current, temperature, and conductivity measurements are used to study the temporal variability of M2 internal tide generation above the Kaena Ridge, between the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Kauai. The energy conversion from the barotropic to baroclinic tide measured near the ridge crest varies by a factor of 2 over the 6-month mooring deployment (0.5–1.1 W m−2). The energy flux measured just off the ridge undergoes a similar modulation as the ridge conversion. The energy conversion varies largely because of changes in the phase of the perturbation pressure, suggesting variable work done on remotely generated internal tides. During the mooring deployment, low-frequency current and stratification fluctuations occur on and off the ridge. Model simulations suggest that these variations are due to two mesoscale eddies that passed through the region. The impact of these eddies on low-mode internal tide propagation over the ridge crest is considered. It appears that eddy-related changes in stratification and perhaps cross-ridge current speed contribute to the observed phase variations in perturbation pressure and hence the variable conversion over the ridge.