Generation of weakly nonlinear turbulence of internal gravity waves in the Coriolis facility

The oceans' interior is stratified in density and thus can sustain internal wave propagation. These waves, when nonlinear, can generate a state of wave turbulence and contribute significantly to the global energy dissipation of ocean circulation. However, a full theoretical description of the statistical properties of such stratified turbulence is still being sought. We performed very large scale experiments in the Coriolis facility in Grenoble, France and observed a state of wave turbulence of internal waves, which will enable comparisons with theory and numerical simulations.