On the effect of shear currents on the vertical structure and kinematic parameters of internal waves

On the basis of real data on the current velocities in the Kara Sea measured with the ADCP, we studied the effect of the shear currents on the vertical structure and kinematic parameters of high-frequency internal waves. The nonlinearity parameter is shown to be the most affected. The values of this parameter can change by an order of magnitude and even change their sign. The background current also substantially affects the values of the phase velocity and the shape of the function of the vertical structure. The necessity of the allowance for the shear current in modeling internal waves is also assessed.