A. Soloviev et al., Horizontal structure of the upper ocean velocity and density fields in thewestern equatorial Pacific warm pool: Depth range from 20 to 250 m, J PHYS OCEA, 30(2), 2000, pp. 416-432
Wavenumber spectra of velocity and density fields in the western equatorial
Pacific warm pool on scales 6-120 km are estimated using the shipboard sur
vey data collected during the TOGA Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experi
ment (COARE). The spectra are averaged over three depth intervals: 20-60, 6
0-110, and 110-250 m (corresponding to the Yoshida jet, the South Equatoria
l Current, and the southern edge of Equatorial Undercurrent). The velocity
spectra are corrected for the mean flow shear advection, which is important
under conditions of low gradient Richardson number (Ri). After that, both
velocity and density spectra are consistent with an internal wave spectral
model including a random component (equatorial version of the Garrett and M
unk spectrum) and a tidal component (the Feng et al. tidal model). Tidal pe
aks, previously found by other COARE investigators as being prominent on th
e "moored" spectra (i.e., on the spectra derived from mooring data), appear
to be much less significant on the "towed" spectra (i.e., on the spectra d
erived from shipboard surveys). The model and observations reveal some dire
ctional anisotropy of the towed velocity spectra depending on Ri.