Nonlinear Effects of Background Currents on Low-Mode Internal Tides from the Luzon Strait

The Luzon Strait is a critical generation site for global internal tides. Their generation and propagation are significantly modulated by background currents, including the Kuroshio Current and mesoscale eddies. This study investigates nonlinear effects of these background currents on low-mode (modes 1–3) internal tides using a high-resolution numerical simulation. We apply the Taylor–Goldstein equation considering the Earth’s rotation and background currents to perform modal decomposition, and utilize a nonlinear internal tidal energy equation to quantify three crucial energy pathways: inter-modal energy conversion, nonlinear energy exchange with background currents, and nonlinear advection effects. Results demonstrate that while stationary mode-1 internal tides dominate in the generation region of the Luzon Strait, non-stationary energy increases significantly in the western and eastern propagation regions, driven largely by seasonal variability of the Kuroshio Current. Inter-modal energy conversion follows a cascade from lower to higher modes, with conversion efficiency increasing with mode number. Nonlinear exchanges between background currents and internal tides are one order of magnitude smaller than inter-modal conversions but exhibit a bidirectional transfer, where advection redistributes internal tidal energy within the eddy structures. This study provides a quantitative framework for understanding multiscale energy pathways of internal tides under complex ocean dynamics.