Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulations of Internal Tides in the Cape Verde and Senegalo-Mauritanian Upwelling Regions

Tide-topography interactions are key drivers of tidal dynamics in the Cape Verde and Senegalo-Mauritania Upwelling regions. Three-dimensional internal tide (IT) simulations identify the Cape Verde Area (CVA) as the primary IT source in the Eastern Boundary Upwelling region off Northwestern Africa, generating approximately 1.87 GW of M2 IT from barotropic tides, with nearly 48% dissipating locally. The West Barlavento Islands serve as a critical energy source, characterized by outward-propagating nonlinear internal waves from the São Nicolau Strait. The distribution and geometry of Islands largely shape a partially standing wave within the Cape Verde Sea. Along the continental margins, distinct topographic features produce contrasting IT dynamics north and south of Dakar. Approximately 9 % (85.8 MW) of the remaining CVA energy propagates eastward into the Cape Verde Plateau (CVP), with 22.3 MW radiating into the North Dakar Area (NDA). Canyon-Seamount systems along the NDA slope contribute 75.4 MW, significantly enhancing onshore energy flux and dissipation over the NDA shelf. In the South Dakar Area (SDA), energy generated over the steeper continental slope radiates offshore by approximately 25% (16.6 MW) into the CVP deep basin, where it interacts with westward propagating IT from the CVA. Onshore shoaling IT with high potential energy flourishes on the SDA shelf. Seasonal stratification significantly influences the IT dynamics with elevated wave energy over the continental slope during winter. Wave-induced turbulent mixing plays a vital role in supporting ecosystems across the Cape Verde and Senegalo-Mauritania Upwelling regions.