European Geosciences Union, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 3(11), p. 981-986, 2011
DOI: 10.5194/nhess-11-981-2011
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Abstract. The generation of huge amplitude internal waves by the barotropic tide in the Barents Sea at high latitudes is examined using the numerical model of the Euler 2-D equations for incompressible stratified fluid. The area considered is located between the Spitsbergen (Svalbard) Island and the Franz-Victoria Trough with a cross-section of 350 km length. There are two underwater hills about 100–150 m high on the background depth of about 300 m. It is shown that intensive nonlinear internal waves with amplitudes up to 50 m and lengths of about 6–12 km are generated in this zone. The total height of such waves is huge and they must be considered as a significant factor of the environment in this basin.