Internal Wave Characteristics in the Andaman Sea: New Insights From SWOT Observations

Abstract High‐resolution, repeat‐pass Sea Surface Height Anomaly (SSHA) observations from the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite are used to investigate Internal Solitary Waves (ISW) in the Andaman Sea over a one‐year period starting in July 2023. SWOT captured surface signatures of high‐amplitude ISW, with SSHA exceeding 20 cm. ISW amplitudes are modulated by spring tides and aided by weak stratification. Notably, this study uses extended Miles theory to quantitatively analyze oblique ISW interactions captured by SWOT. Two test cases demonstrate O‐type interaction with amplification factor in excellent agreement with theoretical estimates. An extreme ISW amplitude of 92.9 m, corresponding to an SSHA of 43 cm, was observed when spring tide, weak stratification, and oblique interaction co‐occurred. Computed phase speed (1.25–2.72 ms −1 ) is consistent with previous estimates and exhibiting decrease as the ISW traveled from the deeper Andaman Sea toward the coast of Thailand.