Huge tidal underwater waves hitting Tasmania

Tasmania is proving to be a great site to study underwater phenomena. Some researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the US have just arrived in Tasmania to study these underwater waves. These internal tides occur about 200m beneath the ocean surface and are barely visible, but can reach about 100m heigh underwater. They form off the Macquarie Ridge on the south coast of New Zealand, and hit Tasmania as they move northeast. These waves are currently on their way to Tasmania from New Zealand as there was just a full moon - the source of large tides. Internal tides form at the thermocline interface - the level in the ocean where warm surface water separates from cold deep water. The waves form at this interface level, where there is a steep topography. The real importance of these waves comes when they break as they hit continental shelves. This breaking causes a mixing of the cold and warm water, which in turn means a mixing of nutrients. This is commonly known as upwelling, when nutrient rich deeper water mixes with the usually nutrient-depleted surface water. This is crucial for fishing industries, as this upwelling supplies the ocean food chain. The research currently being conducted in Tasmania will be beneficial to the seafood industry, as well as understanding about the ocean's carbon absorption due to climate change. For the full article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-08/giant-underwater-waves-study-climate-predictions/6007382 Isabella Badia-Bellinger