A class of powerful,invisible waves hidden beneath the surface of the ocean can shape the underwater edges of continents and contribute to ocean mixing and climate,researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have found.The scientists simulated ocean conditions in a laboratory aquarium and found that "internal waves" generate intense currents when traveling at the same angle as that of the continental slope.The continental slope is the region where the relatively shallow continental shelf slants down to meet the deep ocean floor.They suspect that these intense currents,called boundary flows,lift sediments as the waves push into the continental slope,maintaining the angle of the slope through erosion.The action of the internal waves could also mix layers of colder and warmer water.
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