A case study of internal wave-wave interaction patterns shown in the satellite images in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

Many internal wave-wave interaction patterns have been observed both in satellite radar and optical images, however, very few studies have been made on characteristics of interaction patterns such as phase shifts and the amplitude change in the interaction center. In this paper, two clear oblique interaction patterns are respectively observed in a RADARSAT-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image and a SPOT-2 optical image in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. A two-soliton solution based on the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation is used to simulate the two patterns. We find that one pattern fits the interaction with negative phase shift resulting in an amplitude increase in the interaction center; the other fits with positive phase shift resulting in an amplitude decrease in the interaction center.