INVESTIGATION OF BAROCLINIC TIDE DYNAMICS IN THE SHELF BREAK REGION

The dynamics of baroclinic tides over the shelf break in the region of New-York Bight is investigated by means of mathematical simulation an d on the basis of experimental data gathered in cruise 7 of R/V ''Akad emic Ioffe'' during joint US/Russia internal wave experiment JUSREX-92 . Analysis of the wave fields was conducted in the framework of modal and ray approaches. It was shown that disturbances of the pycnocline e xcited by the barotropic tidal flow in the neighbourhood of the genera tion zone, over the shelf break, have the character of superposition o f a few low baroclinic modes, forming the ''wave ray''. Local pycnocli ne deviations with manifestations of high modes are closely connected with the characteristic lines of the wave equation. Experimental obtai ned extended zone of diapycnic exchange in the region of the shelf bre ak is interpreted as ''wave ray'', generated by the barotropic tide.