Presenter: Andrea Mitre (Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada)

Description:
Submarine canyons can be sites of generation and amplification of internal tides. We analyzed current and temperature data from three moorings placed in the Punta Banda canyon. One of the moorings was placed in a narrow and steep part of the canyon (~ 400 m depth), whereas the other two were located further offshore in the broader part of the canyon. Harmonic analysis of tidal currents shows a marked baroclinic structure in all three moorings and a significant amplification of the tidal currents in the narrow part of the canyon. M2 is the most energetic constituent of the baroclinic currents and it shows downward phase propagation in all three moorings, consistent with upward group velocity. There was a significant seasonal variation of the M2 tidal currents with the strongest currents in autumn (maximum velocity ~ 15 cm/s) and weakest currents in spring (maximum velocity ~ 6 cm/s). The seasonal variation of the tidal current is affected by the seasonal variation of stratification.