Numerical modeling of internal tides and submesoscale turbulence in the US Caribbean regional ocean.

The US Caribbean ocean circulation is governed by an influx of Atlantic water through the passages between Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Virgin Islands, and an interplay of the Caribbean Sea water with the local topography of the region. We present an analysis of the US Caribbean ocean flow simulated by the USCROMS; which is the ROMS AGRIF model configured for the US Caribbean regional ocean at a horizontal resolution of 2 km. Outputs from the USCROMS show a seasonal variability in the strength of submesoscale turbulence within a mixed layer whose depth varies from -70 to -20 m from winter to summer, and internal tides originating from the passages between the islands.