Wind-forced near-inertial waves form a high-energy wave component in the upper ocean. The weakly dispersive nature of these large horizontal and small vertical scale waves make them suitable candidates for energetic interactions with mesoscale balanced flows. We take advantage of an idealized two-vertical-mode system obtained by projecting the hydrostatic Boussinesq equations onto the barotropic and a single high baroclinic mode to examine wave-balanced flow interactions. Our detailed analysis using results of freely evolving numerical simulations demonstrate how the well established two-mode quasigeostrophic turbulence phenomenology changes in the presence of high-energy near-inertial waves. In the absence of waves, the barotropic flow, which contains most of the balanced energy, undergoes an inverse energy cascade resulting in the formation of large-scale coherent vortices. In contrast, high-energy near-inertial waves transfer energy to the barotropic flow, facilitating a forward energy cascade of the balanced flow. The balanced flow in turn assists in the forward energy cascade of the wave field, which transforms the wave field from low-frequency near-inertial waves to high-frequency inertia-gravity waves. Given that the idealized model we employ is two-dimensional, the forward energy cascade of wave and balanced flow is an unexpected and intriguing feature.

中文翻译：

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近惯性波和地转湍流

风力近惯性波在上层海洋中形成高能波成分。这些大的水平和小垂直尺度波的弱分散特性使它们成为与中尺度平衡流进行高能相互作用的合适候选者。我们利用通过将静水Boussinesq方程投影到正压模式和单个高斜压模式下获得的理想的两垂直模式系统来检查波平衡的流相互作用。我们使用自由发展的数值模拟结果进行的详细分析表明，在存在高能近惯性波的情况下，完善的两模准营养湍流现象学是如何变化的。在没有波浪的情况下，包含大部分平衡能量的正压流，经历逆能量级联反应，从而形成大规模相干涡旋。相反，高能近惯性波将能量传递到正压流中，从而促进了平衡流的前向能量级联。平衡流又有助于波场的前向能量级联，从而将波场从低频近惯性波转换为高频惯性重力波。考虑到我们采用的理想模型是二维的，波动和平衡流的正向能量级联是一个出乎意料的有趣特征。它将波场从低频近惯性波转换为高频惯性重力波。考虑到我们采用的理想模型是二维的，波动和平衡流的正向能量级联是一个出乎意料的有趣特征。将波场从低频近惯性波转换成高频惯性重力波。考虑到我们采用的理想模型是二维的，波动和平衡流的正向能量级联是一个出乎意料的有趣特征。