Properties of Short-Period Internal Waves Near Svalbard from Sentinel-1 Satellite Data

Here we present the results of observations of short-period internal waves (SIWs) in Fram Strait and near Svalbard based on analysis of Sentinel-1 A/B synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data in June-September 2018. Analysis of 1500 spaceborne SAR images allowed to identify 750 surface signatures of SIWs. Maximal number of SIW identifications is observed in August, when both stratification and ice conditions are favorable for SIW generation and identification in satellite data. Background meteorological conditions in summer 2018 favored the northward movement of the ice boundary up to 82,5 ∘ N that allowed to observe SIWs over the Yermak Plateau. Four main regions of SIW observations were identified – deep Fram Strait region (depths over 2000 m), southwestern Yermak Plateau with depth range of 500–1500 m, and two shelf break/upper continental slope regions northwest from Svalbard with depths below 500 m. Analysis of spatial properties of SIWs has shown that the study region is dominated by SIW trains with a mean crest length of 15 km and mean packet length of about 5 km. The largest SIW trains with area of nearly 400 km2 were observed over the Yermak Plateau where tidal currents are maximal.