The surface expression of Inertial Oscillations in the south shore of Oahu, Hawaii

HF radars are used to analyze the surface expression of Near Inertial Oscillations (NIO) on the south shore of Oahu, Hawaii over a two year period. The spatial coverage and high resolution of HF radars allows us to focus on the spatial structure of the NIOs in relation to the wind forcing and background circulation. Preliminary results show larger NIOs amplitudes in spring months when sporadic southwest wind events are found. These NIOs mostly display a red frequency shift, often associated with anticylonic background vorticity. The characteristics of the observed NIOs will be compared to simulations of the classic slab layer model. We will also present the energy exchange between these NIOs and the background flow.