1Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA 92093-0411. USA E-mail: cgibson@ucsd.edu
2Aerocosmos Scientific Center of Aerospace Monitoring, Moscow, Russia E-mail: vgbondur@online.ru
3Directed Technologies, Inc., Arlington, VA 22201, USA. E-mail: norris_keeler@directedtechnologies.com
4Department of Oceanography, Physical Section Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA E-mail: ptleung@tamu.edu
Microstructure and internal-wave measurements from vertical and horizontal profilers near a Honolulu municipal wastewater outfall are compared to soliton-induced sea-surface brightness anomalies from optical and synthetic-aperture-radar space satellite images. Spectral anomalies with wavelengths 30–1000 m were detected September 2, 2002. Anomaly areas covered 70 km2 in 10 km and 5 km SW and SE lobes extending from the diffuser. Studies in 2003 and 2004 increase the range of detection to 20 km from the outfall in areas covering 200 km2. The remote detection mechanism indicated by these remarkable observations is a complex interaction between advected 10 m outfall fossil turbulence patches and internal-soliton-waves (ISWs). ISWs supply new turbulent-kinetic-energy to outfall patches near the pycnocline depth. Energy, mixing, and information is radiated near-vertically by both the primary and secondary fossil turbulence patches in ISW patterns of surface smoothing, as detected from space. Nonlinear vertical-amplification and vertical-beaming internal wave processes are similar to those of astrophysical masers but more efficient. Off shore advection of the outfall fossil turbulence patches required to produce the anomaly lobes varies widely and unpredictably, and depends on fresh water run off from the island.
Turbulence, diffusion, and mixing processes, fine structure and microstructure, nearshore processes, remote sensing
