Super inertial tides over irregular narrow shelves

Oceanic internal tides are ubiquitous dynamic features, densely observed near continental margins. Their sea-surface signature is frequently printed in remote sensing images, showing complex wave patterns over irregular shelves such as the West-Iberian margin. Their origin and spatial distribution is the subject of the present work, which explores the physics behind the generation and propagation of these baroclinic modes, over submarine canyon and promontory shelf features. It focuses on the study of the super-inertial tide solution by the use of numerical model simulations of realistic and idealized topography configurations, under homogeneous, two-layers and continuous stratified water columns. The ocean basins are flanked by shallow water continental margins that divert ocean tides from their natural course. Coastal tide waves are then reflected and/or trapped in several possible wave modes, function of the latitude, forcing frequency, topographic relief and water column stratification. Different shelf features, such as submarine canyons, valleys, promontories and bumps can shape continental margins to create abrupt along-shelf slopes that become effective internal tide generation sites.