The Internal Wave Action Model (IWAM) is a theoretical research effort with the long term goal to develop a predictive dynamical model of the global and of regional internal wave fields. The model will be based on the integration of the radiation balance equation which describes changes of the internal wave action density spectrum along wave group trajectories caused by generation, transfer, and dissipation processes. The predicted quantity will be the action density spectrum as a function of wavenumber, position and time. The model requires the topography and the mean current and density as environmental fields, and will be driven by surface winds and the barotropic tide.
The first specific steps towards the construction of the model are:
The ultimate goal is the construction of a numerical model that predicts the internal wave field and internal wave induced transports globally and regionally and that can be used in conjunction with circulation, turbulence, acoustic and other models for research and applications.