Tidally Forced Turbulent Dissipation on a Three-Dimensional Fan in Luzon Strait

Abstract

Moored observations and a realistic, tidally forced 3D model are presented of flow and internal-tide-driven turbulence over a supercritical 3D fan in southeastern Luzon Strait. Two stacked moored profilers, an acoustic Doppler current profiler, and a thermistor string measured horizontal velocity, density, and salinity over nearly the entire water column every 1.5 h for 50 days. Observed dissipation rate computed from Thorpe scales decays away from the bottom and shows a strong spring–neap cycle; observed depth-integrated dissipation rate scales as