This is a simulation of an internal wave passing over an undersea pinnacle in the middle of the Gulf of Maine. The sheet moving up and down represents the boundary between warm water at the surface of the ocean, and colder water at depth. This transition between warm and cold is called the thermocline. This animation shows dimensions in meters. Notice how the vertical scale is exaggerated relative to the horizontal scale. Also notice how big this wave is (20 m = 60 ft)! If this wave were at the surface of the ocean, it would be very dramatic, like one in the movie The Perfect Storm. Internal waves that visit Conch Reef, the site of Aquarius and the current mission with Dr. Leichter, move from deep water toward the shallow reef and create "surf" when they start to break up on the forereef face of the reef. These breaking internal waves distribute cold water across the reef that is high in nutrients, larvae, and particles. Dr. Leichter's team is measuring the chemistry and physical structure of internal waves to better understand how they affect reef organisms. The real internal waves in the Gulf of Maine take 7-30 minutes to pass by the pinnacle. The animation shows this process in just a few seconds. In the Gulf of Maine, these waves are an important delivery service for animals living on or around the bottom. The wave delivers warm water and food, in the form of plankton, that can stimulate growth. Thus, internal waves are an important oceanographic process affecting benthic communities throughout our world's oceans.

Animation by Mark R. Patterson, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary and Jon Witman, Brown University. Research supported by the NSN and NOAA NURP.