Global rate and spectral characteristics of internal gravity wave generation by geostrophic flow over topography

The rate of generation of internal gravity waves in the lee of small length scale topography by geostrophic flow in the World Ocean was estimated using linear theory with corrections for finite amplitude topography. Several global data sets were combined for the calculation including an ocean circulation model for the near‐bottom geostrophic flow statistics, over 500 abyssal current meter records, historical climatological data for the buoyancy frequency, and two independent estimates of the small scale topographic statistical properties. The first topography estimate was based on an empirically‐derived relationship between paleo‐spreading rates and abyssal hill roughness, with corrections for sedimentation. The second estimate was based on small‐scale (