A Multiagency Experiment On Internal Wave Energy, Mixing, And Interactions And Their Representation In Global Ocean Models And Operational Forecasts

Authors

• Maarten C. Buijsman, The University of Southern Mississippi
• Amy F. Waterhouse, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• Edward D. Zaron, Oregon State University
• Badarvada Yadidya, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Chengzhu Xu, Oregon State University
• Victoria Whitley, University of Maryland, College Park
• Jacob O. Wenegrat, University of Maryland, College Park
• Jinbo Wang, Texas A&M University
• Alan J. Wallcraft, Florida State University
• Dheeraj Varma, The University of Southern Mississippi
• Babette C. Tchonang, Florida State University
• Oladeji Siyanbola, The University of Southern Mississippi
• Jay F. Shriver, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
• Vitalii A. Sheremet, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Uwe Send, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• Keshav J. Raja, Florida State University
• Kurt Polzin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Hans E. Ngodock, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
• Aurelie J. Moulin, Applied Physics Laboratory
• Grant Meiners, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• Andrew J. Lucas, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2026

School

Ocean Science and Engineering

Abstract

As part of a National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) project, seven teams—comprising investigators from universities, federal laboratories, and industry—are collaboratively investigating the generation, propagation, and dissipation of internal waves in the global ocean using complementary, state-of-the-art observations and model simulations. Internal waves, generated by the interaction of tides, winds, and mean flows, permeate the ocean and influence its physical state. Internal waves transport scalar and vector properties—both geographically and across scales—and contribute to irreversible mixing, modulate acoustic propagation, and complicate the identification of subinertial (e.g., geostrophic) flows in observations. For these reasons, accurately representing internal waves in global ocean forecast models is a high priority. The collaborations reported here are improving the understanding of the internal wave life cycle and enhancing model skill in simulating it. Three observational teams are collecting in situ data using 1) redeployable moored arrays that resolve internal waves from multiple directions, 2) global deployments of profiling floats that measure internal wave energy fluxes, shear, and mixing, and 3) high-resolution arrays that focus on bottom boundary layer processes. Four modeling teams are guiding the design and placement of these observation platforms and are using the collected observations to 1) improve internal wave representation and dissipation in ocean models, 2) conduct high-resolution process studies, and 3) implement data assimilation in idealized, regional, and global simulations. These efforts are further supported by high-resolution sea surface height measurements from the new Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, which provide context for in situ observations and improve ocean forecasting systems.

Publication Title

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

Volume

107

Issue

1

First Page

E158

Last Page

E182

Recommended Citation

Buijsman, M., Waterhouse, A., Zaron, E., Yadidya, B., Xu, C., Whitley, V., Wenegrat, J., Wang, J., Wallcraft, A., Varma, D., Tchonang, B., Siyanbola, O., Shriver, J., Sheremet, V., Send, U., Raja, K., Polzin, K., Ngodock, H., Moulin, A., Meiners, G., Lucas, A. (2026). A Multiagency Experiment On Internal Wave Energy, Mixing, And Interactions And Their Representation In Global Ocean Models And Operational Forecasts. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 107(1), E158-E182.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/21990