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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 30, NO. 17, 1907, doi:10.1029/2003GL017676, 2003

Semi-diurnal and diurnal tidal dissipation from TOPEX/Poseidon altimetry

Gary D. Egbert

College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA


Richard D. Ray

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA


Abstract

Tidal energy dissipation is estimated for eight semi-diurnal and diurnal constituents using a global inverse solution constrained by TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter data. Very similar spatial patterns are obtained for all semi-diurnal constituents, with about one third of the total dissipation occurring in the deep ocean over rough topography. Maps for diurnal constituents are also similar amongst themselves, but quite different from the semi-diurnal results. For diurnals a smaller fraction of dissipation, roughly 10%, occurs in the deep ocean. Much of the difference can be explained by the very different spatial pattern of diurnal and semi-diurnal tidal currents. The lack of free internal waves at frequencies poleward of 30° at diurnal frequencies also probably plays a role, limiting the effectiveness of baroclinic conversion as an energy sink for barotropic diurnal tides.

Received 2 May 2003; accepted 29 July 2003; published 12 September 2003.

Index Terms: 4560 Oceanography: Physical: Surface waves and tides (1255); 1255 Geodesy and Gravity: Tides—ocean (4560); 4544 Oceanography: Physical: Internal and inertial waves.

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Citation: Egbert, G. D., and R. D. Ray (2003), Semi-diurnal and diurnal tidal dissipation from TOPEX/Poseidon altimetry, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(17), 1907, doi:10.1029/2003GL017676.