A coupling modulation model of capillary waves from gravity waves: Theoretical analysis and experimental validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Pengzhen; Wang, Xiaoqing; Liu, Li; Chong, Jinsong

2016-06-01

According to Bragg theory, capillary waves are the predominant scatterers of high-frequency band (such as Ka-band) microwave radiation from the surface of the ocean. Therefore, understanding the modulation mechanism of capillary waves is an important foundation for interpreting high-frequency microwave remote sensing images of the surface of the sea. In our experiments, we discovered that modulations of capillary waves are significantly larger than the values predicted by the classical theory. Further, analysis shows that the difference in restoring force results in an inflection point while the phase velocity changes from gravity waves region to capillary waves region, and this results in the capillary waves being able to resonate with gravity waves when the phase velocity of the gravity waves is equal to the group velocity of the capillary waves. Consequently, we propose a coupling modulation model in which the current modulates the capillary wave indirectly by modulating the resonant gravity waves, and the modulation of the former is approximated by that of the latter. This model very effectively explains the results discovered in our experiments. Further, based on Bragg scattering theory and this coupling modulation model, we simulate the modulation of normalized radar cross section (NRCS) of typical internal waves and show that the high-frequency bands are superior to the low-frequency bands because of their greater modulation of NRCS and better radiometric resolution. This result provides new support for choice of radar band for observation of wave-current modulation oceanic phenomena such as internal waves, fronts, and shears.

The southern stratospheric gravity wave hot spot: individual waves and their momentum fluxes measured by COSMIC GPS-RO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hindley, N. P.; Wright, C. J.; Smith, N. D.; Mitchell, N. J.

2015-07-01

Nearly all general circulation models significantly fail to reproduce the observed behaviour of the southern wintertime polar vortex. It has been suggested that these biases result from an underestimation of gravity wave drag on the atmosphere at latitudes near 60° S, especially around the "hot spot" of intense gravity wave fluxes above the mountainous Southern Andes and Antarctic peninsula. Here, we use Global Positioning System radio occultation (GPS-RO) data from the COSMIC satellite constellation to determine the properties of gravity waves in the hot spot and beyond. We show considerable southward propagation to latitudes near 60° S of waves apparently generated over the southern Andes. We propose that this propagation may account for much of the wave drag missing from the models. Furthermore, there is a long leeward region of increased gravity wave energy that sweeps eastwards from the mountains over the Southern Ocean. Despite its striking nature, the source of this region has historically proved difficult to determine. Our observations suggest that this region includes both waves generated locally and orographic waves advected downwind from the hot spot. We describe and use a new wavelet-based analysis technique for the quantitative identification of individual waves from COSMIC temperature profiles. This analysis reveals different geographical regimes of wave amplitude and short-timescale variability in the wave field over the Southern Ocean. Finally, we use the increased numbers of closely spaced pairs of profiles from the deployment phase of the COSMIC constellation in 2006 to make estimates of gravity wave horizontal wavelengths. We show that, given sufficient observations, GPS-RO can produce physically reasonable estimates of stratospheric gravity wave momentum flux in the hot spot that are consistent with measurements made by other techniques. We discuss our results in the context of previous satellite and modelling studies and explain how they advance our understanding of the nature and origins of waves in the southern stratosphere.

Observation and Modeling of Tsunami-Generated Gravity Waves in the Earth’s Upper Atmosphere

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-08

Observation and modeling of tsunami -generated gravity waves in the earth’s upper atmosphere 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6...ABSTRACT Build a compatible set of models which 1) calculate the spectrum of atmospheric GWs excited by a tsunami (using ocean model data as input...for public release; distribution is unlimited. Observation and modeling of tsunami -generated gravity waves in the earth’s upper atmosphere Sharon

On the generation of internal wave modes by surface waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harlander, Uwe; Kirschner, Ian; Maas, Christian; Zaussinger, Florian

2016-04-01

Internal gravity waves play an important role in the ocean since they transport energy and momentum and the can lead to mixing when they break. Surface waves and internal gravity waves can interact. On the one hand, long internal waves imply a slow varying shear current that modifies the propagation of surface waves. Surface waves generated by the atmosphere can, on the other hand, excite internal waves by nonlinear interaction. Thereby a surface wave packet consisting of two close frequencies can resonate with a low frequency internal wave (Phillips, 1966). From a theoretical point of view, the latter has been studied intensively by using a 2-layer model, i.e. a surface layer with a strong density contrast and an internal layer with a comparable weak density contrast (Ball, 1964; Craig et al., 2010). In the present work we analyse the wave coupling for a continuously stratified fluid using a fully non-linear 2D numerical model (OpenFoam) and compare this with laboratory experiments (see Lewis et al. 1974). Surface wave modes are used as initial condition and the time development of the dominant surface and internal waves are studied by spectral and harmonic analysis. For the simple geometry of a box, the results are compared with analytical spectra of surface and gravity waves. Ball, F.K. 1964: Energy transfer between external and internal gravity waves. J. Fluid Mech. 19, 465. Craig, W., Guyenne, P., Sulem, C. 2010: Coupling between internal and surface waves. Natural Hazards 57, 617-642. Lewis, J.E., Lake, B.M., Ko, D.R.S 1974: On the interaction of internal waves and surfacr gravity waves, J. Fluid Mech. 63, 773-800. Phillips, O.M. 1966: The dynamics of the upper ocean, Cambridge University Press, 336pp.

The non-Gaussian joint probability density function of slope and elevation for a nonlinear gravity wave field. [in ocean surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, N. E.; Long, S. R.; Bliven, L. F.; Tung, C.-C.

1984-01-01

On the basis of the mapping method developed by Huang et al. (1983), an analytic expression for the non-Gaussian joint probability density function of slope and elevation for nonlinear gravity waves is derived. Various conditional and marginal density functions are also obtained through the joint density function. The analytic results are compared with a series of carefully controlled laboratory observations, and good agreement is noted. Furthermore, the laboratory wind wave field observations indicate that the capillary or capillary-gravity waves may not be the dominant components in determining the total roughness of the wave field. Thus, the analytic results, though derived specifically for the gravity waves, may have more general applications.

Surfing surface gravity waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pizzo, Nick

2017-11-01

A simple criterion for water particles to surf an underlying surface gravity wave is presented. It is found that particles travelling near the phase speed of the wave, in a geometrically confined region on the forward face of the crest, increase in speed. The criterion is derived using the equation of John (Commun. Pure Appl. Maths, vol. 6, 1953, pp. 497-503) for the motion of a zero-stress free surface under the action of gravity. As an example, a breaking water wave is theoretically and numerically examined. Implications for upper-ocean processes, for both shallow- and deep-water waves, are discussed.

Measuring ocean waves from space; Proceedings of the Symposium, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD, Apr. 15-17, 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beal, Robert C. (Editor)

1987-01-01

Papers are presented on ocean-wave prediction; the quasi-universal form of the spectra of wind-generated gravity waves at different stages of their development; the limitations of the spectral measurements and observations of the group structure of surface waves; the effect of swell on the growth of wind wave; operational wave forecasting; ocean-wave models, and seakeeping using directional wave spectra. Consideration is given to microwave measurements of the ocean-wave directional spectra; SIR research; estimating wave energy spectra from SAR imagery, with the radar ocean-wave spectrometer, and SIR-B; the wave-measurement capabilities of the surface contour radar and the airborne oceanographic lidar; and SIR-B ocean-wave enhancement with fast-Fourier transform techniques. Topics discussed include wave-current interaction; the design and applicability of Spectrasat; the need for a global wave monitoring system; the age and source of ocean swell observed in Hurricane Josephine; and the use of satellite technology for insulin treatment.

A numerical model for ocean ultra-low frequency noise: wave-generated acoustic-gravity and Rayleigh modes.

PubMed

Ardhuin, Fabrice; Lavanant, Thibaut; Obrebski, Mathias; Marié, Louis; Royer, Jean-Yves; d'Eu, Jean-François; Howe, Bruce M; Lukas, Roger; Aucan, Jerome

2013-10-01

The generation of ultra-low frequency acoustic noise (0.1 to 1 Hz) by the nonlinear interaction of ocean surface gravity waves is well established. More controversial are the quantitative theories that attempt to predict the recorded noise levels and their variability. Here a single theoretical framework is used to predict the noise level associated with propagating pseudo-Rayleigh modes and evanescent acoustic-gravity modes. The latter are dominant only within 200 m from the sea surface, in shallow or deep water. At depths larger than 500 m, the comparison of a numerical noise model with hydrophone records from two open-ocean sites near Hawaii and the Kerguelen islands reveal: (a) Deep ocean acoustic noise at frequencies 0.1 to 1 Hz is consistent with the Rayleigh wave theory, in which the presence of the ocean bottom amplifies the noise by 10 to 20 dB; (b) in agreement with previous results, the local maxima in the noise spectrum support the theoretical prediction for the vertical structure of acoustic modes; and (c) noise level and variability are well predicted for frequencies up to 0.4 Hz. Above 0.6 Hz, the model results are less accurate, probably due to the poor estimation of the directional properties of wind-waves with frequencies higher than 0.3 Hz.

First tsunami gravity wave detection in ionospheric radio occultation data

DOE PAGES

Coïsson, Pierdavide; Lognonné, Philippe; Walwer, Damian; ...

2015-05-09

After the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Tohoku, the ionospheric signature of the displacements induced in the overlying atmosphere has been observed by ground stations in various regions of the Pacific Ocean. We analyze here the data of radio occultation satellites, detecting the tsunami-driven gravity wave for the first time using a fully space-based ionospheric observation system. One satellite of the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) recorded an occultation in the region above the tsunami 2.5 h after the earthquake. The ionosphere was sounded from top to bottom, thus providing themore » vertical structure of the gravity wave excited by the tsunami propagation, observed as oscillations of the ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC). The observed vertical wavelength was about 50 km, with maximum amplitude exceeding 1 total electron content unit when the occultation reached 200 km height. We compared the observations with synthetic data obtained by summation of the tsunami-coupled gravity normal modes of the Earth/Ocean/atmosphere system, which models the associated motion of the ionosphere plasma. These results provide experimental constraints on the attenuation of the gravity wave with altitude due to atmosphere viscosity, improving the understanding of the propagation of tsunami-driven gravity waves in the upper atmosphere. They demonstrate that the amplitude of the tsunami can be estimated to within 20% by the recorded ionospheric data.« less

Redistribution of energy available for ocean mixing by long-range propagation of internal waves.

PubMed

Alford, Matthew H

2003-05-08

Ocean mixing, which affects pollutant dispersal, marine productivity and global climate, largely results from the breaking of internal gravity waves--disturbances propagating along the ocean's internal stratification. A global map of internal-wave dissipation would be useful in improving climate models, but would require knowledge of the sources of internal gravity waves and their propagation. Towards this goal, I present here computations of horizontal internal-wave propagation from 60 historical moorings and relate them to the source terms of internal waves as computed previously. Analysis of the two most energetic frequency ranges--near-inertial frequencies and semidiurnal tidal frequencies--reveals that the fluxes in both frequency bands are of the order of 1 kW x m(-1) (that is, 15-50% of the energy input) and are directed away from their respective source regions. However, the energy flux due to near-inertial waves is stronger in winter, whereas the tidal fluxes are uniform throughout the year. Both varieties of internal waves can thus significantly affect the space-time distribution of energy available for global mixing.

New observations of Yanai waves and equatorial inertia-gravity waves in the Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrar, J. T.; Durland, T.

2011-12-01

In the 1970's and 1980's, there was a great deal of research activity on near-equatorial variability at periods of days to weeks associated with oceanic equatorial inertia-gravity waves and Yanai waves. At that time, the measurements available for studying these waves were much more limited than today: most of the available observations were from island tide gauges and a handful of short mooring records. We use more than a decade of the extensive modern data record from the TAO/TRITON mooring array in the Pacific Ocean to re-examine the internal-wave climate in the equatorial Pacific, with a focus on interpretation of the zonal-wavenumber/frequency spectrum of surface dynamic height relative to 500-m depth. Many equatorial-wave meridional modes can be identified, for both the first and second baroclinic mode. We also estimated zonal-wavenumber/frequency spectra for the zonal and meridional wind stress components. The location and extent of spectral peaks in dynamic height is readily rationalized using basic, linear theory of forced equatorial waves and the observed wind stress spectrum.

The Formation and Fate of Internal Waves in the South China Sea

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-05

FOf’miiiiiiM and Fate at Internal Waves In the South •C:hln;~t Sea --- --------· . _.,.. --- -------Author(s) Name{s) (Firsi,MI,La$t), Code, Atfi(iation...Tswen-Yung (David) Tang7 Internal gravity waves , the subsurface analogue of the familiar surface gravity waves that break on beaches, are ubiquitous in...for man-made structures in the ocean4. Generated primarily by the wind and the tides, internal waves can travel thousands of kilometres from their

Effect of gravity waves on the North Atlantic circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eden, Carsten

2017-04-01

The recently proposed IDEMIX (Internal wave Dissipation, Energy and MIXing) parameterisation for the effect of gravity waves offers the possibility to construct consistent ocean models with a closed energy cycle. This means that the energy available for interior mixing in the ocean is only controlled by external energy input from the atmosphere and the tidal system and by internal exchanges. A central difficulty is the unknown fate of meso-scale eddy energy. In different scenarios for that eddy dissipation, the parameterized internal wave field provides between 2 and 3 TW for interior mixing from the total external energy input of about 4 TW, such that a transfer between 0.3 and 0.4 TW into mean potential energy contributes to drive the large-scale circulation in the model. The impact of the different mixing on the meridional overturning in the North Atlantic is discussed and compared to hydrographic observations. Furthermore, the direct energy exchange of the wave field with the geostrophic flow is parameterized in extended IDEMIX versions and the sensitivity of the North Atlantic circulation by this gravity wave drag is discussed.

Evidence for infragravity wave-tide resonance in deep oceans.

PubMed

Sugioka, Hiroko; Fukao, Yoshio; Kanazawa, Toshihiko

2010-10-05

Ocean tides are the oscillatory motions of seawater forced by the gravitational attraction of the Moon and Sun with periods of a half to a day and wavelengths of the semi-Pacific to Pacific scale. Ocean infragravity (IG) waves are sea-surface gravity waves with periods of several minutes and wavelengths of several dozen kilometres. Here we report the first evidence of the resonance between these two ubiquitous phenomena, mutually very different in period and wavelength, in deep oceans. The evidence comes from long-term, large-scale observations with arrays of broadband ocean-bottom seismometers located at depths of more than 4,000 m in the Pacific Ocean. This observational evidence is substantiated by a theoretical argument that IG waves and the tide can resonantly couple and that such coupling occurs over unexpectedly wide areas of the Pacific Ocean. Through this resonant coupling, some of ocean tidal energy is transferred in deep oceans to IG wave energy.

Gravity wave generation from jets and fronts: idealized and real-case simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plougonven, Riwal; Arsac, Antonin; Hertzog, Albert; Guez, Lionel; Vial, François

2010-05-01

The generation of gravity waves from jets and fronts remains an outstanding issue in the dynamics of the atmosphere. It is important to explain and quantify this emission because of the several impacts of these waves, in particular the induced momentum fluxes towards the middle atmosphere, and their contribution to turbulence and mixing, e.g. in the region of the tropopause. Yet, the mechanisms at the origin of these waves have been difficult to identify, the fundamental reason for this being the separation between the time scales of balanced motions and gravity waves. Recent simulations of idealized baroclinic life cycles and of dipoles have provided insights into the mechanisms determining the characteristics and the amplitude of gravity waves emitted by jets. It has been shown in particular that the environmental strain and shear play a crucial role in determining the characteristics and location of the emitted waves, emphasizing jet exit regions for the appearance of coherent low-frequency waves. It has also been shown how advection of relatively small-scales allow to overcome the separation of time scales alluded to above. Recent results, remaining open questions and ongoing work on these idealized simulations will be briefly summarized. Nevertheless, unavoidable shortcomings of such idealized simulations include the sensitivity of the emitted waves to model setup (resolution, diffusion, parameterizations) and uncertainty regarding the realism of this aspect of the simulations. Hence, it is necessary to compare simulations with observations in order to assess their relevance. Such comparison has been undertaken using the dataset from the Vorcore campaign (Sept. 2005 - Feb. 2006, Hertzog, J. Atmos. Ocean. Techno. 2007) during which 27 superpressure balloons drifted as quasi-Lagrangian tracers in the lower stratosphere above Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. High-resolution simulations (dx = 20 km) have been carried out using the Weather Research and Forecast model for nearly two months. The realism of the simulated gravity waves is established based on systematic comparison with the observations and on case studies. The simulations are then used to quantify the importance and characteristics of gravity waves emitted from jets and fronts above the Southern Ocean. In particular, application of results from the idealized simulations to real cases, with a check provided by observations, will be discussed.

The significance of ultra-refracted surface gravity waves on sheltered coasts, with application to San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanes, D.M.; Erikson, L.H.

2013-01-01

Ocean surface gravity waves propagating over shallow bathymetry undergo spatial modification of propagation direction and energy density, commonly due to refraction and shoaling. If the bathymetric variations are significant the waves can undergo changes in their direction of propagation (relative to deepwater) greater than 90° over relatively short spatial scales. We refer to this phenomenon as ultra-refraction. Ultra-refracted swell waves can have a powerful influence on coastal areas that otherwise appear to be sheltered from ocean waves. Through a numerical modeling investigation it is shown that San Francisco Bay, one of the earth's largest and most protected natural harbors, is vulnerable to ultra-refracted ocean waves, particularly southwest incident swell. The flux of wave energy into San Francisco Bay results from wave transformation due to the bathymetry and orientation of the large ebb tidal delta, and deep, narrow channel through the Golden Gate. For example, ultra-refracted swell waves play a critical role in the intermittent closure of the entrance to Crissy Field Marsh, a small restored tidal wetland located on the sheltered north-facing coast approximately 1.5 km east of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Ocean wave-radar modulation transfer functions from the West Coast experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, J. W.; Plant, W. J.; Keller, W. C.; Jones, W. L.

1980-01-01

Short gravity-capillary waves, the equilibrium, or the steady state excitations of the ocean surface are modulated by longer ocean waves. These short waves are the predominant microwave scatterers on the ocean surface under many viewing conditions so that the modulation is readily measured with CW Doppler radar used as a two-scale wave probe. Modulation transfer functions (the ratio of the cross spectrum of the line-of-sight orbital speed and backscattered microwave power to the autospectrum of the line-of-sight orbital speed) were measured at 9.375 and 1.5 GHz (Bragg wavelengths of 2.3 and 13 cm) for winds up to 10 m/s and ocean wave periods from 2-18 s. The measurements were compared with the relaxation-time model; the principal result is that a source of modulation other than straining by the horizontal component of orbital speed, possibly the wave-induced airflow, is responsible for most of the modulation by waves of typical ocean wave period (10 s). The modulations are large; for unit coherence, spectra of radar images of deep-water waves should be proportional to the quotient of the slope spectra of the ocean waves by the ocean wave frequency.

Ambient seismic wave field

PubMed Central

NISHIDA, Kiwamu

2017-01-01

The ambient seismic wave field, also known as ambient noise, is excited by oceanic gravity waves primarily. This can be categorized as seismic hum (1–20 mHz), primary microseisms (0.02–0.1 Hz), and secondary microseisms (0.1–1 Hz). Below 20 mHz, pressure fluctuations of ocean infragravity waves reach the abyssal floor. Topographic coupling between seismic waves and ocean infragravity waves at the abyssal floor can explain the observed shear traction sources. Below 5 mHz, atmospheric disturbances may also contribute to this excitation. Excitation of primary microseisms can be attributed to topographic coupling between ocean swell and seismic waves on subtle undulation of continental shelves. Excitation of secondary microseisms can be attributed to non-linear forcing by standing ocean swell at the sea surface in both pelagic and coastal regions. Recent developments in source location based on body-wave microseisms enable us to estimate forcing quantitatively. For a comprehensive understanding, we must consider the solid Earth, the ocean, and the atmosphere as a coupled system. PMID:28769015

Ocean dynamics studies. [of current-wave interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

Both the theoretical and experimental investigations into current-wave interactions are discussed. The following three problems were studied: (1) the dispersive relation of a random gravity-capillary wave field; (2) the changes of the statistical properties of surface waves under the influence of currents; and (3) the interaction of capillary-gravity with the nonuniform currents. Wave current interaction was measured and the feasibility of using such measurements for remote sensing of surface currents was considered. A laser probe was developed to measure the surface statistics, and the possibility of using current-wave interaction as a means of current measurement was demonstrated.

A model for gravity-wave spectra observed by Doppler sounding systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanzandt, T. E.

1986-01-01

A model for Mesosphere - Stratosphere - Troposphere (MST) radar spectra is developed following the formalism presented by Pinkel (1981). Expressions for the one-dimensional spectra of radial velocity versus frequency and versus radial wave number are presented. Their dependence on the parameters of the gravity-wave spectrum and on the experimental parameters, radar zenith angle and averaging time are described and the conditions for critical tests of the gravity-wave hypothesis are discussed. The model spectra is compared with spectra observed in the Arctic summer mesosphere by the Poker Flat radar. This model applies to any monostatic Doppler sounding system, including MST radar, Doppler lidar and Doppler sonar in the atmosphere, and Doppler sonar in the ocean.

Instabilities of Internal Gravity Wave Beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dauxois, Thierry; Joubaud, Sylvain; Odier, Philippe; Venaille, Antoine

2018-01-01

Internal gravity waves play a primary role in geophysical fluids: They contribute significantly to mixing in the ocean, and they redistribute energy and momentum in the middle atmosphere. Until recently, most studies were focused on plane wave solutions. However, these solutions are not a satisfactory description of most geophysical manifestations of internal gravity waves, and it is now recognized that internal wave beams with a confined profile are ubiquitous in the geophysical context. We discuss the reason for the ubiquity of wave beams in stratified fluids, which is related to the fact that they are solutions of the nonlinear governing equations. We focus more specifically on situations with a constant buoyancy frequency. Moreover, in light of recent experimental and analytical studies of internal gravity beams, it is timely to discuss the two main mechanisms of instability for those beams: (a) the triadic resonant instability generating two secondary wave beams and (b) the streaming instability corresponding to the spontaneous generation of a mean flow.

Studies of oceanic tectonics based on GEOS-3 satellite altimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poehls, K. A.; Kaula, W. M.; Schubert, G.; Sandwell, D.

1979-01-01

Using statistical analysis, geoidal admittance (the relationship between the ocean geoid and seafloor topography) obtained from GEOS-3 altimetry was compared to various model admittances. Analysis of several altimetry tracks in the Pacific Ocean demonstrated a low coherence between altimetry and seafloor topography except where the track crosses active or recent tectonic features. However, global statistical studies using the much larger data base of all available gravimetry showed a positive correlation of oceanic gravity with topography. The oceanic lithosphere was modeled by simultaneously inverting surface wave dispersion, topography, and gravity data. Efforts to incorporate geoid data into the inversion showed that the base of the subchannel can be better resolved with geoid rather than gravity data. Thermomechanical models of seafloor spreading taking into account differing plate velocities, heat source distributions, and rock rheologies were discussed.

Tsunami and acoustic-gravity waves in water of constant depth

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hendin, Gali; Stiassnie, Michael

2013-08-15

A study of wave radiation by a rather general bottom displacement, in a compressible ocean of otherwise constant depth, is carried out within the framework of a three-dimensional linear theory. Simple analytic expressions for the flow field, at large distance from the disturbance, are derived. Realistic numerical examples indicate that the Acoustic-Gravity waves, which significantly precede the Tsunami, are expected to leave a measurable signature on bottom-pressure records that should be considered for early detection of Tsunami.

Near Field Ocean Surface Waves Acoustic Radiation Observation and Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardhuin, F.; Peureux, C.; Royer, J. Y.

2016-12-01

The acoustic noise generation by nonlinearly interacting surface gravity waves has been studied for a long time both theoretically and experimentally [Longuet-Higgins 1951]. The associated far field noise is continuously measured by a vast network of seismometers at the ocean bottom and on the continents. It can especially be used to infer the time variability of short ocean waves statistics [Peureux and Ardhuin 2016]. However, better quantitative estimates of the latter are made difficult due to a poor knowledge of the Earth's crust characteristics, whose coupling with acoustic modes can affect large uncertainties to the frequency response at the bottom of the ocean.The pressure field at depths less than an acoustic wave length to the surface is made of evanescent modes which vanish away from their sources (near field) [Cox and Jacobs 1989]. For this reason, they are less affected by the ocean bottom composition. This near field is recorded and analyzed in the frequency range 0.1 to 0.5 Hz approximately, at two locations : at a shallow site in the North-East Atlantic continental shelf and a deep water site in the Southern Indian ocean, where pressure measurements are performed at the ocean bottom (ca. 100 m) and at 300 m water depth respectively. Evanescent and propagating Rayleigh modes are compared against theoretical predictions. Comparisons against surface waves hindcast based on WAVEWATCH(R) III modeling framework help assessing its performances and can be used to help future model improvements.References Longuet-Higgins, M. S., A Theory of the Origin of Microseisms, Philos. Trans. Royal Soc. A, 1950, 243, 1-3. Peureux, C. and Ardhuin, F., Ocean bottom pressure records from the Cascadia array and short surface gravity waves, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 2016, 121, 2862-2873. Cox, C. S. & Jacobs, D. C., Cartesian diver observations of double frequency pressure fluctuations in the upper levels of the ocean, Geophys. Res. Lett., 1989, 16, 807-810.

Further SEASAT SAR coastal ocean wave analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kasischke, E. S.; Shuchman, R. A.; Meadows, G. A.; Jackson, P. L.; Tseng, Y.

1981-01-01

Analysis techniques used to exploit SEASAT synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data of gravity waves are discussed and the SEASAT SAR's ability to monitor large scale variations in gravity wave fields in both deep and shallow water is evaluated. The SAR analysis techniques investigated included motion compensation adjustments and the semicausal model for spectral analysis of SAR wave data. It was determined that spectra generated from fast Fourier transform analysis (FFT) of SAR wave data were not significantly altered when either range telerotation adjustments or azimuth focus shifts were used during processing of the SAR signal histories, indicating that SEASAT imagery of gravity waves is not significantly improved or degraded by motion compensation adjustments. Evaluation of the semicausal (SC) model using SEASAT SAR data from Rev. 974 indicates that the SC spectral estimates were not significantly better than the FFT results.

Evidence for a continuous spectrum of equatorial waves in the Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eriksen, Charles C.

1980-06-01

Seven-month records of current and temperature measurements from a moored array centered at 53°E on the equator in the Indian Ocean are consistent with a continuous spectrum of equatorially trapped internal inertial-gravity, mixed Rossby-gravity, and Kelvin waves. A model spectrum of free linear waves analogous to those for mid-latitude internal gravity waves is used to compute spectra of observed quantities at depths greater than about 2000 m. Model parameters are adjusted to fit general patterns in the observed spectra over periods from roughly 2 days to 1 month. Measurements at shallower depths presumably include forced motions which we have not attempted to model. This `straw-person' spectrum is consistent with the limited data available. The model spectru Ē (n, m, ω) = K · B(m) · C(n, ω), where Ē is an average local energy density in the equatorial wave guide which has amplitude K, wave number shape B(m) ∝ (1 + m/m*)-3, where m is vertical mode number and the bandwidth parameter m* is between 4 and 8, and frequency shape C(n, ω) ∝ [(2n + 1 + s2)½ · σ3]-1 where n is meridional mode number, and s and σ are dimensionless zonal wave number and frequency related by the usual dispersion relation. The scales are (β/cm)½ and (β · cm)½ for horizontal wave number and frequency, where cm is the Kelvin wave speed of the vertical mode m. At each frequency and vertical wave number, energy is partitioned equally among the available inertial gravity modes so that the field tends toward horizontal isotropy at high frequency. The transition between Kelvin and mixed Rossby-gravity motion at low frequency and inertial-gravity motion at high frequency occurs at a period of roughly 1 week. At periods in the range 1-3 weeks, the model spectrum which fits the observations suggests that mixed Rossby-gravity motion dominates; at shorter periods gravity motion dominates. The model results are consistent with the low vertical coherence lengths observed (roughly 80 m). Horizontal coherence over 2 km is consistent with isotropic energy flux. Evidence for net zontal energy flux is not found in this data, and the presence of a red wave number shape suggests that net flux will be difficult to observe from modest moored arrays. The equatorial wave spectrum does not match across the diurnal and semidiurnal tides to the high-frequency internal wave spectrum (the latter is roughly 1 decade higher).

Two-frequency /Delta k/ microwave scatterometer measurements of ocean wave spectra from an aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J. W.; Jones, W. L.; Weissman, D. E.

1981-01-01

A technique for remotely sensing the large-scale gravity wave spectrum on the ocean surface using a two frequency (Delta k) microwave scatterometer has been demonstrated from stationary platforms and proposed from moving platforms. This measurement takes advantage of Bragg type resonance matching between the electromagnetic wavelength at the difference frequency and the length of the large-scale surface waves. A prominent resonance appears in the cross product power spectral density (PSD) of the two backscattered signals. Ku-Band aircraft scatterometer measurements were conducted by NASA in the North Sea during the 1979 Maritime Remote Sensing (MARSEN) experiment. Typical examples of cross product PSD's computed from the MARSEN data are presented. They demonstrate strong resonances whose frequency and bandwidth agree with the surface characteristics and the theory. Directional modulation spectra of the surface reflectivity are compared to the gravity wave spectrum derived from surface truth measurements.

Numerical Investigations of Wave-Induced Mixing in Upper Ocean Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Changlong

2017-04-01

The upper ocean layer is playing an important role in ocean-atmosphere interaction. The typical characteristics depicting the upper ocean layer are the sea surface temperature (SST) and the mixed layer depth (MLD). So far, the existing ocean models tend to over-estimate SST and to under-estimate MLD, due to the inadequate mixing in the mixing layer, which is owing to that several processes related mixing in physics are ignored in these ocean models. The mixing induced by surface gravity wave is expected to be able to enhance the mixing in the upper ocean layer, and therefore the over-estimation of SST and the under-estimate of MLD could be improved by including wave-induced mixing. The wave-induced mixing could be accomplished by the physical mechanisms, such as wave breaking (WB), wave-induced Reynolds stress (WR), and wave-turbulence interaction (WT). The General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM) is employed to investigate the effects of the three mechanisms concerning wave-induced mixing. The numerical investigation is carried out for three turbulence closure schemes, say, k-epsilon, k-omega and Mellor-Yamada (1982), with the observational data from OSC Papa station and wave data from ECMWF. The mixing enhancement by various waved-induced mixing mechanisms is investigated and verified.

Observation of `third sound' in superfluid 3He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schechter, A. M. R.; Simmonds, R. W.; Packard, R. E.; Davis, J. C.

1998-12-01

Waves on the surface of a fluid provide a powerful tool for studying the fluid itself and the surrounding physical environment. For example, the wave speed is determined by the force per unit mass at the surface, and by the depth of the fluid: the decreasing speed of ocean waves as they approach the shore reveals the changing depth of the sea and the strength of gravity. Other examples include propagating waves in neutron-star oceans and on the surface of levitating liquid drops. Although gravity is a common restoring force, others exist, including the electrostatic force which causes a thin liquid film to adhere to a solid. Usually surface waves cannot occur on such thin films because viscosity inhibits their motion. However, in the special case of thin films of superfluid 4He, surface waves do exist and are called `third sound'. Here we report the detection of similar surface waves in thin films of superfluid 3He. We describe studies of the speed of these waves, the properties of the surface force, and the film's superfluid density.

Characterization of the surface wave variability in the California Current region from satellite altimetry.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villas Boas, A. B.; Gille, S. T.; Mazloff, M. R.

2016-02-01

Surface gravity waves play a crucial role in upper-ocean dynamics, and they are an important mechanism by which the ocean exchanges energy with the overlying atmosphere. Surface waves are largely wind forced and can also be modulated by ocean currents via nonlinear wave-current interactions, leading to either an amplification or attenuation of the wave amplitude. Even though individual waves cannot be detected by present satellite altimeters, surface waves have the potential to produce a sea-state bias in altimeter measurements and can impact the sea-surface-height spectrum at high wavenumbers or frequencies. Knowing the wave climatology is relevant for the success of future altimeter missions, such as the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT). We analyse the seasonal, intra-annual and interannual variability of significant wave heights retrieved from over two decades of satellite altimeter data and assess the extent to which the variability of the surface wave field in the California Current region is modulated by the local wind and current fields.

Tsunami mitigation - redistribution of energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadri, Usama

2017-04-01

Tsunamis are water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, in the deep ocean or a large lake, following an earthquake, landslide, underwater explosion, meteorite impacts, or other violent geological events. On the coastline, the resulting waves evolve from unnoticeable to devastating, reaching heights of tens of meters and causing destruction of property and loss of life. Over 225,000 people were killed in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami alone. For many decades, scientists have been studying tsunami, and progress has been widely reported in connection with the causes (1), forecasting (2), and recovery (3). However, none of the studies ratifies the approach of a direct mitigation of tsunamis, with the exception of mitigation using submarine barriers (e.g. see Ref. (4)). In an attempt to open a discussion on direct mitigation, I examine the feasibility of redistributing the total energy of a very long surface ocean (gravity) wave over a larger space through nonlinear resonant interaction with two finely tuned acoustic-gravity waves (see Refs. (5-8)). Theoretically, while the energy input in the acoustic-gravity waves required for an effective interaction is comparable to that in a tsunami (i.e. impractically large), employing the proposed mitigation technique the initial tsunami amplitude could be reduced substantially resulting in a much milder impact at the coastline. Moreover, such a technique would allow for the harnessing of the tsunami's own energy. Practically, this mitigation technique requires the design of highly accurate acoustic-gravity wave frequency transmitters or modulators, which is a rather challenging ongoing engineering problem. References 1. E. Bryant, 2014. Tsunami: the underrated hazard. Springer, doi:10.1007/978-3-319- 06133-7. 2. V. V. Titov, F. I. Gonza`lez, E. N. Bernard, M. C. Eble, H. O. Mofjeld, J. C. Newman, A. J. Venturato, 2005. Real-Time Tsunami Forecasting: Challenges and Solutions. Nat. Hazards 35:41-58, doi:10.1007/1-4020-3607-8 3 3. E. Check, 2005. Natural disasters: Roots of recovery. Nature 438, 910-911, doi:10.1038/438910a. 4. A. M. Fridman, L. S. Alperovich, L. Shemer, L. Pustil'nik, D. Shtivelman, A. G. Marchuk, D. Liberzon, 2010. Tsunami wave suppression using submarine barriers. Phys. Usp. 53 809-816, doi:10.3367/UFNe.0180.201008d.0843. 5. U. Kadri, M. Stiassnie, 2013. Generation of an acoustic-gravity wave by two gravity waves, and their mutual interaction. J. Fluid Mech. 735, R6, doi:10.1017/jfm.2013.539. 6. U. Kadri, 2015. Wave motion in a heavy compressible fluid: revisited. European Journal of Mechanics - B/Fluids, 49(A), 50-57, doi:10.1016/j.euromechflu.2014.07.008 7. U. Kadri, T.R. Akylas, 2016. On resonant triad interactions of acoustic-gravity waves. J. Fluid Mech., 788, R1(12 pages), doi:10.1017/jfm.2015.721. 8. U. Kadri, 2016. Triad resonance between a surface-gravity wave and two high frequency hydro-acoustic waves. Eur. J. Mech. B/Fluid, 55(1), 157-161, doi:10.1016/j.euromechflu.2015.09.008.

Numerical modeling of marine Gravity data for tsunami hazard zone mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porwal, Nipun

2012-07-01

Tsunami is a series of ocean wave with very high wavelengths ranges from 10 to 500 km. Therefore tsunamis act as shallow water waves and hard to predict from various methods. Bottom Pressure Recorders of Poseidon class considered as a preeminent method to detect tsunami waves but Acoustic Modem in Ocean Bottom Pressure (OBP) sensors placed in the vicinity of trenches having depth of more than 6000m fails to propel OBP data to Surface Buoys. Therefore this paper is developed for numerical modeling of Gravity field coefficients from Bureau Gravimetric International (BGI) which do not play a central role in the study of geodesy, satellite orbit computation, & geophysics but by mathematical transformation of gravity field coefficients using Normalized Legendre Polynomial high resolution ocean bottom pressure (OBP) data is generated. Real time sea level monitored OBP data of 0.3° by 1° spatial resolution using Kalman filter (kf080) for past 10 years by Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) has been correlated with OBP data from gravity field coefficients which attribute a feasible study on future tsunami detection system from space and in identification of most suitable sites to place OBP sensors near deep trenches. The Levitus Climatological temperature and salinity are assimilated into the version of the MITGCM using the ad-joint method to obtain the sea height segment. Then TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimeter, surface momentum, heat, and freshwater fluxes from NCEP reanalysis product and the dynamic ocean topography DOT_DNSCMSS08_EGM08 is used to interpret sea-bottom elevation. Then all datasets are associated under raster calculator in ArcGIS 9.3 using Boolean Intersection Algebra Method and proximal analysis tools with high resolution sea floor topographic map. Afterward tsunami prone area and suitable sites for set up of BPR as analyzed in this research is authenticated by using Passive microwave radiometry system for Tsunami Hazard Zone Mapping by network of seismometers. Thus using such methodology for early Tsunami Hazard Zone Mapping also increase accuracy and reduce time period for tsunami predictions. KEYWORDS:, Tsunami, Gravity Field Coefficients, Ocean Bottom Pressure, ECCO, BGI, Sea Bottom Temperature, Sea Floor Topography.

Tsunami-Generated Atmospheric Gravity Waves and Their Atmospheric and Ionospheric Effects: a Review and Some Recent Modeling Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hickey, M. P.

2017-12-01

Tsunamis propagate on the ocean surface at the shallow water phase speed which coincides with the phase speed of fast atmospheric gravity waves. The forcing frequency also corresponds with those of internal atmospheric gravity waves. Hence, the coupling and effective forcing of gravity waves due to tsunamis is particularly effective. The fast horizontal phase speeds of the resulting gravity waves allows them to propagate well into the thermosphere before viscous dissipation becomes strong, and the waves can achieve nonlinear amplitudes at these heights resulting in large amplitude traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs). Additionally, because the tsunami represents a moving source able to traverse large distances across the globe, the gravity waves and associated TIDs can be detected at large distances from the original tsunami (earthquake) source. Although it was during the mid 1970s when the tsunami source of gravity waves was first postulated, only relatively recently (over the last ten to fifteen years) has there has been a surge of interest in this research arena, driven largely by significant improvements in measurement technologies and computational capabilities. For example, the use of GPS measurements to derive total electron content has been a particularly powerful technique used to monitor the propagation and evolution of TIDs. Monitoring airglow variations driven by atmospheric gravity waves has also been a useful technique. The modeling of specific events and comparison with the observed gravity waves and/or TIDs has been quite revealing. In this talk I will review some of the most interesting aspects of this research and also discuss some interesting and outstanding issues that need to be addressed. New modeling results relevant to the Tohoku tsunami event will also be presented.

Anisotropic models of the upper mantle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Regan, J.; Anderson, D. L.

1983-01-01

Long period Rayleigh wave and Love wave dispersion data, particularly for oceanic areas, were not simultaneously satisfied by an isotropic structure. Available phase and group velocity data are inverted by a procedure which includes the effects of transverse anisotropy, an elastic dispersion, sphericity, and gravity. The resulting models, for the average Earth, average ocean and oceanic regions divided according to the age of the ocean floor, are quite different from previous results which ignore the above effects. The models show a low velocity zone with age dependent anisotropy and velocities higher than derived in previous surface wave studies. The correspondence between the anisotropy variation with age and a physical model based on flow aligned olivine is suggested.

The observation of ocean surface phenomena using imagery from the SEASAT synthetic aperture radar: An assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vesecky, John F.; Stewart, Robert H.

1982-04-01

Over the period July 4 to October 10, 1978, the SEASAT synthetic aperture radar (SAR) gathered 23 cm wavelength radar images of some 108 km2 of the earth's surface, mainly of ocean areas, at 25-40 m resolution. Our assessment is in terms of oceanographic and ocean monitoring objectives and is directed toward discovering the proper role of SAR imagery in these areas of interest. In general, SAR appears to have two major and somewhat overlapping roles: first, quantitative measurement of ocean phenomena, like long gravity waves and wind fields, as well as measurement of ships; second, exploratory observations of large-scale ocean phenomena, such as the Gulf Stream and its eddies, internal waves, and ocean fronts. These roles are greatly enhanced by the ability of 23 cm SAR to operate day or night and through clouds. To begin we review some basics of synthetic aperture radar and its implementation on the SEASAT spacecraft. SEASAT SAR imagery of the ocean is fundamentally a map of the radar scattering characteristics of ˜30 cm wavelength ocean waves, distorted in some cases by ocean surface motion. We discuss how wind stress, surface currents, long gravity waves, and surface films modulate the scattering properties of these resonant waves with particular emphasis on the mechanisms that could produce images of long gravity waves. Doppler effects by ocean motion are also briefly described. Measurements of long (wavelength ≳100 m) gravity waves, using SEASAT SAR imagery, are compared with surface measurements during several experiments. Combining these results we find that dominant wavelength and direction are measured by SEASAT SAR within ±12% and ±15°, respectively. However, we note that ocean waves are not always visible in SAR images and discuss detection criteria in terms of wave height, length, and direction. SAR estimates of omnidirectional wave height spectra made by assuming that SAR image intensity is proportional to surface height fluctuations are more similar to corresponding surface measurements of wave height spectra than to wave slope spectra. Because SEASAT SAR images show the radar cross section σ° of ˜30 cm waves (neglecting doppler effects), and because these waves are raised by wind stress on the ocean surface, wind measurements are possible. Comparison between wind speeds estimated from SEASAT SAR imagery and from the SEASAT satellite scatterometer (SASS) agreed to within ±0.7 m s- over a 350-km comparison track and for wind speeds from 2 to 15 m s-. The great potential of SAR wind measurements lies in studying the spatial structure of the wind field over a range of spatial scales of from ≲1 km to ≳100 km. At present, the spatial and temporal structure of ocean wind fields is largely unknown. Because SAR responds to short waves whose energy density is a function of wind stress at the surface rather than wind speed at some distance above the surface, variations in image intensity may also reflect changes in air-sea temperature difference (thus complicating wind measurements by SAR). Because SAR images show the effects of surface current shear, air-sea temperature difference, and surface films through their modulation of the ˜30 cm waves, SEASAT images can be used to locate and study the Gulf Stream and related warm water rings, tidal flows at inlets, internal waves, and slicks resulting from surface films. In many of these applications, SAR provides a remote sensing capability that is complementary to infrared imagery because the two techniques sense largely different properties, namely, surface roughness and temperature. Both stationary ships and moving ships with their attendant wakes are often seen in SAR images. Ship images can be used to estimate ship size, heading, and speed. However, ships known to be in areas imaged by SAR are not always detectable. Clearly, a variety of factors, such as image resolution, ship size, sea state, and winds could affect ship detection. Overall, the role of SAR imagery in oceanography is definitely evolving at this time, but its ultimate role is unclear. We have assessed the ability of SEASAT SAR to measure a variety of ocean phenomena and have commented briefly on applications. In the end, oceanographers and others will have to judge from these capabilities the proper place for SAR in oceanography and remote sensing of the ocean.

Waves in Radial Gravity Using Magnetic Fluid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ohlsen, D. R.; Hart, J. E.; Weidman, P. D.

1999-01-01

Terrestrial laboratory experiments studying various fluid dynamical processes are constrained, by being in an Earth laboratory, to have a gravitational body force which is uniform and unidirectional. Therefore fluid free-surfaces are horizontal and flat. Such free surfaces must have a vertical solid boundary to keep the fluid from spreading horizontally along a gravitational potential surface. In atmospheric, oceanic, or stellar fluid flows that have a horizontal scale of about one-tenth the body radius or larger, sphericity is important in the dynamics. Further, fluids in spherical geometry can cover an entire domain without any sidewall effects, i.e. have truly periodic boundary conditions. We describe spherical body-force laboratory experiments using ferrofluid. Ferrofluids are dilute suspensions of magnetic dipoles, for example magnetite particles of order 10 nm diameter, suspended in a carrier fluid. Ferrofluids are subject to an additional body force in the presence of an applied magnetic field gradient. We use this body force to conduct laboratory experiments in spherical geometry. The present study is a laboratory technique improvement. The apparatus is cylindrically axisymmetric. A cylindrical ceramic magnet is embedded in a smooth, solid, spherical PVC ball. The geopotential field and its gradient, the body force, were made nearly spherical by careful choice of magnet height-to-diameter ratio and magnet size relative to the PVC ball size. Terrestrial gravity is eliminated from the dynamics by immersing the "planet" and its ferrofluid "ocean" in an immiscible silicone oil/freon mixture of the same density. Thus the earth gravity is removed from the dynamics of the ferrofluid/oil interface and the only dynamically active force there is the radial magnetic gravity. The entire apparatus can rotate, and waves are forced on the ferrofluid surface by exterior magnets. The biggest improvement in technique is in the wave visualization. Fluorescing dye is added to the oil/freon mixture and an argon ion laser generates a horizontal light that can be scanned vertically. Viewed from above, the experiment is a black circle with wave deformations surrounded by a light background. A contour of the image intensity at any light sheet position gives the surface of the ferrofluid "ocean" at that "latitude". Radial displacements of the waves as a function of longitude are obtained by subtracting the contour line positions from a no-motion contour at that laser sheet latitude. The experiments are run by traversing the forcing magnet with the laser sheet height fixed and images are frame grabbed to obtain a time-series at one latitude. The experiment is then re-run with another laser-sheet height to generate a full picture of the three-dimensional wave structure in the upper hemisphere of the ball as a function of time. We concentrate here on results of laboratory studies of waves that are important in Earth's atmosphere and especially the ocean. To get oceanic scaling in the laboratory, the experiment must rotate rapidly (4-second rotation period) so that the wave speed is slow compared to the planetary rotation speed as in the ocean. In the Pacific Ocean, eastward propagating Kelvin waves eventually run into the South American coast. Theory predicts that some of the wave energy should scatter into coastal-trapped Kelvin waves that propagate north and south along the coast. Some of this coastal wave energy might then scatter into mid-latitude Rossby waves that propagate back westward. Satellite observations of the Pacific Ocean sea-surface temperature and height seem to show signatures of westward propagating mid-latitude Rossby waves, 5 to 10 years after the 1982-83 El Nino. The observational data is difficult to interpret unambiguously owing to the large range of motions that fill the ocean at shorter timescales. This series of reflections giving eastward, north- ward, and then westward traveling waves is observed cleanly in the laboratory experiments, confirming the theoretical expectations.

Compressive Spectral Method for the Simulation of the Nonlinear Gravity Waves

PubMed Central

Bayındır, Cihan

2016-01-01

In this paper an approach for decreasing the computational effort required for the spectral simulations of the fully nonlinear ocean waves is introduced. The proposed approach utilizes the compressive sampling algorithm and depends on the idea of using a smaller number of spectral components compared to the classical spectral method. After performing the time integration with a smaller number of spectral components and using the compressive sampling technique, it is shown that the ocean wave field can be reconstructed with a significantly better efficiency compared to the classical spectral method. For the sparse ocean wave model in the frequency domain the fully nonlinear ocean waves with Jonswap spectrum is considered. By implementation of a high-order spectral method it is shown that the proposed methodology can simulate the linear and the fully nonlinear ocean waves with negligible difference in the accuracy and with a great efficiency by reducing the computation time significantly especially for large time evolutions. PMID:26911357

Internal gravity wave contributions to global sea surface variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savage, A.; Arbic, B. K.; Richman, J. G.; Shriver, J. F.; Buijsman, M. C.; Zamudio, L.; Wallcraft, A. J.; Sharma, H.

2016-02-01

High-resolution (1/12th and 1/25th degree) 41-layer simulations of the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM), forced by both atmospheric fields and the astronomical tidal potential, are used to construct global maps of sea-surface height (SSH). The HYCOM output has been separated into steric, non-steric, and total sea-surface height and the maps display variance in subtidal, tidal, and supertidal bands. Two of the global maps are of particular interest in planning for the upcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) wide-swath satellite altimeter mission; (1) a map of the nonstationary tidal signal (estimated after removing the stationary tidal signal via harmonic analysis), and (2) a map of the steric supertidal contributions, which are dominated by the internal gravity wave continuum. Both of these maps display signals of order 1 cm2, the target accuracy for the SWOT mission. Therefore, both non-stationary internal tides and non-tidal internal gravity waves are likely to be important sources of "noise" that must be accurately removed before examination of lower-frequency phenomena can take place.

Refraction of coastal ocean waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shuchman, R. A.; Kasischke, E. S.

1981-01-01

Refraction of gravity waves in the coastal area off Cape Hatteras, NC as documented by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery from Seasat orbit 974 (collected on September 3, 1978) is discussed. An analysis of optical Fourier transforms (OFTs) from more than 70 geographical positions yields estimates of wavelength and wave direction for each position. In addition, independent estimates of the same two quantities are calculated using two simple theoretical wave-refraction models. The OFT results are then compared with the theoretical results. A statistical analysis shows a significant degree of linear correlation between the data sets. This is considered to indicate that the Seasat SAR produces imagery whose clarity is sufficient to show the refraction of gravity waves in shallow water.

Acoustic-gravity waves in atmospheric and oceanic waveguides.

PubMed

Godin, Oleg A

2012-08-01

A theory of guided propagation of sound in layered, moving fluids is extended to include acoustic-gravity waves (AGWs) in waveguides with piecewise continuous parameters. The orthogonality of AGW normal modes is established in moving and motionless media. A perturbation theory is developed to quantify the relative significance of the gravity and fluid compressibility as well as sensitivity of the normal modes to variations in sound speed, flow velocity, and density profiles and in boundary conditions. Phase and group speeds of the normal modes are found to have certain universal properties which are valid for waveguides with arbitrary stratification. The Lamb wave is shown to be the only AGW normal mode that can propagate without dispersion in a layered medium.

An improved dual-frequency technique for the remote sensing of ocean currents and wave spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuler, D. L.; Eng, W. P.

1984-01-01

A two frequency microwave radar technique for the remote sensing of directional ocean wave spectra and surface currents is investigated. This technique is conceptually attractive because its operational physical principle involves a spatial electromagnetic scattering resonance with a single, but selectable, long gravity wave. Multiplexing of signals having different spacing of the two transmitted frequencies allows measurements of the entire long wave ocean spectrum to be carried out. A new scatterometer is developed and experimentally tested which is capable of making measurements having much larger signal/background values than previously possible. This instrument couples the resonance technique with coherent, frequency agility radar capabilities. This scatterometer is presently configured for supporting a program of surface current measurements.

Effect of small floating disks on the propagation of gravity waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Santi, F.; Olla, P.

2017-04-01

A dispersion relation for gravity waves in water covered by disk-like impurities embedded in a viscous matrix is derived. The macroscopic equations are obtained by ensemble-averaging the fluid equations at the disk scale in the asymptotic limit of long waves and low disk surface fraction. Various regimes are identified depending on the disk radii and the thickness and viscosity of the top layer. Semi-quantitative analysis in the close-packing regime suggests dramatic modification of the dynamics, with orders of magnitude increase in wave damping and wave dispersion. A simplified model working in this regime is proposed. Possible applications to wave propagation in an ice-covered ocean are discussed and comparison with field data is provided.

The Effect of the Leeuwin Current on Offshore Surface Gravity Waves in Southwest Western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wandres, Moritz; Wijeratne, E. M. S.; Cosoli, Simone; Pattiaratchi, Charitha

2017-11-01

The knowledge of regional wave regimes is critical for coastal zone planning, protection, and management. In this study, the influence of the offshore current regime on surface gravity waves on the southwest Western Australian (SWWA) continental shelf was examined. This was achieved by coupling the three dimensional, free surface, terrain-following hydrodynamic Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) and the third generation wave model Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) using the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-WaveSediment Transport (COAWST) model. Different representative states of the Leeuwin Current (LC), a strong pole-ward flowing boundary current with a persistent eddy field along the SWWA shelf edge were simulated and used to investigate their influence on different large wave events. The coupled wave-current simulations were compared to wave only simulations, which represented scenarios in the absence of a background current field. Results showed that the LC and the eddy field significantly impact SWWA waves. Significant wave heights increased (decreased) when currents were opposing (aligning with) the incoming wave directions. During a fully developed LC system significant wave heights were altered by up to ±25% and wave directions by up to ±20°. The change in wave direction indicates that the LC may modify nearshore wave dynamics and consequently alter sediment patterns. Operational regional wave forecasts and hindcasts may give flawed predictions if wave-current interaction is not properly accounted for.

Rogue waves: from nonlinear Schrödinger breather solutions to sea-keeping test.

PubMed

Onorato, Miguel; Proment, Davide; Clauss, Günther; Klein, Marco

2013-01-01

Under suitable assumptions, the nonlinear dynamics of surface gravity waves can be modeled by the one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Besides traveling wave solutions like solitons, this model admits also breather solutions that are now considered as prototypes of rogue waves in ocean. We propose a novel technique to study the interaction between waves and ships/structures during extreme ocean conditions using such breather solutions. In particular, we discuss a state of the art sea-keeping test in a 90-meter long wave tank by creating a Peregrine breather solution hitting a scaled chemical tanker and we discuss its potential devastating effects on the ship.

Rogue Waves: From Nonlinear Schrödinger Breather Solutions to Sea-Keeping Test

PubMed Central

Onorato, Miguel; Proment, Davide; Clauss, Günther; Klein, Marco

2013-01-01

Under suitable assumptions, the nonlinear dynamics of surface gravity waves can be modeled by the one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Besides traveling wave solutions like solitons, this model admits also breather solutions that are now considered as prototypes of rogue waves in ocean. We propose a novel technique to study the interaction between waves and ships/structures during extreme ocean conditions using such breather solutions. In particular, we discuss a state of the art sea-keeping test in a 90-meter long wave tank by creating a Peregrine breather solution hitting a scaled chemical tanker and we discuss its potential devastating effects on the ship. PMID:23405086

The formation and fate of internal waves in the South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alford, Matthew H.; Peacock, Thomas; MacKinnon, Jennifer A.; Nash, Jonathan D.; Buijsman, Maarten C.; Centuroni, Luca R.; Chao, Shenn-Yu; Chang, Ming-Huei; Farmer, David M.; Fringer, Oliver B.; Fu, Ke-Hsien; Gallacher, Patrick C.; Graber, Hans C.; Helfrich, Karl R.; Jachec, Steven M.; Jackson, Christopher R.; Klymak, Jody M.; Ko, Dong S.; Jan, Sen; Johnston, T. M. Shaun; Legg, Sonya; Lee, I.-Huan; Lien, Ren-Chieh; Mercier, Matthieu J.; Moum, James N.; Musgrave, Ruth; Park, Jae-Hun; Pickering, Andrew I.; Pinkel, Robert; Rainville, Luc; Ramp, Steven R.; Rudnick, Daniel L.; Sarkar, Sutanu; Scotti, Alberto; Simmons, Harper L.; St Laurent, Louis C.; Venayagamoorthy, Subhas K.; Wang, Yu-Huai; Wang, Joe; Yang, Yiing J.; Paluszkiewicz, Theresa; (David) Tang, Tswen-Yung

2015-05-01

Internal gravity waves, the subsurface analogue of the familiar surface gravity waves that break on beaches, are ubiquitous in the ocean. Because of their strong vertical and horizontal currents, and the turbulent mixing caused by their breaking, they affect a panoply of ocean processes, such as the supply of nutrients for photosynthesis, sediment and pollutant transport and acoustic transmission; they also pose hazards for man-made structures in the ocean. Generated primarily by the wind and the tides, internal waves can travel thousands of kilometres from their sources before breaking, making it challenging to observe them and to include them in numerical climate models, which are sensitive to their effects. For over a decade, studies have targeted the South China Sea, where the oceans' most powerful known internal waves are generated in the Luzon Strait and steepen dramatically as they propagate west. Confusion has persisted regarding their mechanism of generation, variability and energy budget, however, owing to the lack of in situ data from the Luzon Strait, where extreme flow conditions make measurements difficult. Here we use new observations and numerical models to (1) show that the waves begin as sinusoidal disturbances rather than arising from sharp hydraulic phenomena, (2) reveal the existence of >200-metre-high breaking internal waves in the region of generation that give rise to turbulence levels >10,000 times that in the open ocean, (3) determine that the Kuroshio western boundary current noticeably refracts the internal wave field emanating from the Luzon Strait, and (4) demonstrate a factor-of-two agreement between modelled and observed energy fluxes, which allows us to produce an observationally supported energy budget of the region. Together, these findings give a cradle-to-grave picture of internal waves on a basin scale, which will support further improvements of their representation in numerical climate predictions.

The formation and fate of internal waves in the South China Sea.

PubMed

Alford, Matthew H; Peacock, Thomas; MacKinnon, Jennifer A; Nash, Jonathan D; Buijsman, Maarten C; Centurioni, Luca R; Centuroni, Luca R; Chao, Shenn-Yu; Chang, Ming-Huei; Farmer, David M; Fringer, Oliver B; Fu, Ke-Hsien; Gallacher, Patrick C; Graber, Hans C; Helfrich, Karl R; Jachec, Steven M; Jackson, Christopher R; Klymak, Jody M; Ko, Dong S; Jan, Sen; Johnston, T M Shaun; Legg, Sonya; Lee, I-Huan; Lien, Ren-Chieh; Mercier, Matthieu J; Moum, James N; Musgrave, Ruth; Park, Jae-Hun; Pickering, Andrew I; Pinkel, Robert; Rainville, Luc; Ramp, Steven R; Rudnick, Daniel L; Sarkar, Sutanu; Scotti, Alberto; Simmons, Harper L; St Laurent, Louis C; Venayagamoorthy, Subhas K; Wang, Yu-Huai; Wang, Joe; Yang, Yiing J; Paluszkiewicz, Theresa; Tang, Tswen-Yung David

2015-05-07

Internal gravity waves, the subsurface analogue of the familiar surface gravity waves that break on beaches, are ubiquitous in the ocean. Because of their strong vertical and horizontal currents, and the turbulent mixing caused by their breaking, they affect a panoply of ocean processes, such as the supply of nutrients for photosynthesis, sediment and pollutant transport and acoustic transmission; they also pose hazards for man-made structures in the ocean. Generated primarily by the wind and the tides, internal waves can travel thousands of kilometres from their sources before breaking, making it challenging to observe them and to include them in numerical climate models, which are sensitive to their effects. For over a decade, studies have targeted the South China Sea, where the oceans' most powerful known internal waves are generated in the Luzon Strait and steepen dramatically as they propagate west. Confusion has persisted regarding their mechanism of generation, variability and energy budget, however, owing to the lack of in situ data from the Luzon Strait, where extreme flow conditions make measurements difficult. Here we use new observations and numerical models to (1) show that the waves begin as sinusoidal disturbances rather than arising from sharp hydraulic phenomena, (2) reveal the existence of >200-metre-high breaking internal waves in the region of generation that give rise to turbulence levels >10,000 times that in the open ocean, (3) determine that the Kuroshio western boundary current noticeably refracts the internal wave field emanating from the Luzon Strait, and (4) demonstrate a factor-of-two agreement between modelled and observed energy fluxes, which allows us to produce an observationally supported energy budget of the region. Together, these findings give a cradle-to-grave picture of internal waves on a basin scale, which will support further improvements of their representation in numerical climate predictions.

Tsunami generation and associated waves in the water column and seabed due to an asymmetric earthquake motion within an anisotropic substratum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagheri, Amirhossein; Greenhalgh, Stewart; Khojasteh, Ali; Rahimian, Mohammad; Attarnejad, Reza

2016-10-01

In this paper, closed-form integral expressions are derived to describe how surface gravity waves (tsunamis) are generated when general asymmetric ground displacement (due to earthquake rupturing), involving both horizontal and vertical components of motion, occurs at arbitrary depth within the interior of an anisotropic subsea solid beneath the ocean. In addition, we compute the resultant hydrodynamic pressure within the seawater and the elastic wavefield within the seabed at any position. The method of potential functions and an integral transform approach, accompanied by a special contour integration scheme, are adopted to handle the equations of motion and produce the numerical results. The formulation accounts for any number of possible acoustic-gravity modes and is valid for both shallow and deep water situations as well as for any focal depth of the earthquake source. Phase and group velocity dispersion curves are developed for surface gravity (tsunami mode), acoustic-gravity, Rayleigh, and Scholte waves. Several asymptotic cases which arise from the general analysis are discussed and compared to existing solutions. The role of effective parameters such as hypocenter location and frequency of excitation is examined and illustrated through several figures which show the propagation pattern in the vertical and horizontal directions. Attention is directed to the unexpected contribution from the horizontal ground motion. The results have important application in several fields such as tsunami hazard prediction, marine seismology, and offshore and coastal engineering. In a companion paper, we examine the effect of ocean stratification on the appearance and character of internal and surface gravity waves.

Ocean Wave Studies with Applications to Ocean Modeling and Improvement of Satellite Altimeter Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glazman, Roman E.

1999-01-01

Combining analysis of satellite data (altimeter, scatterometer, high-resolution visible and infrared images, etc.) with mathematical modeling of non-linear wave processes, we investigate various ocean wave fields (on scales from capillary to planetary), their role in ocean dynamics and turbulent transport (of heat and biogeochemical quantities), and their effects on satellite altimeter measuring accuracy. In 1998 my attention was focused on long internal gravity waves (10 to 1000 km), known also as baroclinic inertia-gravity (BIG) waves. We found these waves to be a major factor of altimeter measurements "noise," resulting in a greater uncertainty [up to 10 cm in terms of sea surface height (SSH) amplitude] in the measured SSH signal than that caused by the sea state bias variations (up to 5 cm or so). This effect still remains largely overlooked by the satellite altimeter community. Our studies of BIG waves address not only their influence on altimeter measurements but also their role in global ocean dynamics and in transport and turbulent diffusion of biogeochemical quantities. In particular, in collaboration with Prof Peter Weichman, Caltech, we developed a theory of turbulent diffusion caused by wave motions of most general nature. Applied to the problem of horizontal turbulent diffusion in the ocean, the theory yielded the effective diffusion coefficient as a function of BIG wave parameters obtainable from satellite altimeter data. This effort, begun in 1997, has been successfully completed in 1998. We also developed a theory that relates spatial fluctuations of scalar fields (such as sea surface temperature, chlorophyll concentration, drifting ice concentration, etc.) to statistical characteristics of BIG waves obtainable from altimeter measurements. A manuscript is in the final stages of preparation. In order to verify the theoretical predictions and apply them to observations, we are now analyzing Sea-viewing Wide Field of view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Field of view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data on sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll concentration jointly with TOPEX/POSEIDON data on SSH variations.

An estimate of equatorial wave energy flux at 9- to 90-day periods in the Central Pacific

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eriksen, Charles C.; Richman, James G.

1988-01-01

Deep fluctuations in current along the equator in the Central Pacific are dominated by coherent structures which correspond closely to narrow-band propagating equatorial waves. Currents were measured roughly at 1500 and 3000 m depths at five moorings between 144 and 148 deg W from January 1981 to March 1983, as part of the Pacific Equatorial Ocean Dynamics program. In each frequency band resolved, a single complex empirical orthogonal function accounts for half to three quarters of the observed variance in either zonal or meridional current. Dispersion for equatorial first meridional Rossby and Rossby gravity waves is consistent with the observed vertical-zonal coherence structure. The observations indicate that energy flux is westward and downward in long first meridional mode Rossby waves at periods 45 days and longer, and eastward and downward in short first meridional mode Rossby waves and Rossby-gravity waves at periods 30 days and shorter. A local minimum in energy flux occurs at periods corresponding to a maximum in upper-ocean meridional current energy contributed by tropical instability waves. Total vertical flux across the 9- to 90-day period range is 2.5 kW/m.

The damping of ocean surface waves by a monomolecular film measured by wave staffs and microwave radars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huehnerfuss, H.; Alpers, W.; Jones, W. L.; Lange, P. A.; Richter, K.

1981-01-01

Open ocean and wave tank experiments were carried out with the aim of studying the damping of capillary and gravity waves by a monomolecular film. These films of biogenic origin influence air-sea interaction processes and thereby affect the use of remote sensing techniques in oceanography. Measurement was carried out by wave staffs, by a coherent X band microwave scatterometer mounted on a sea-based platform, and by an incoherent K band microwave scatterometer carried by an aircraft under moderate wind conditions. A wave attenuation of about 40-60% is observed in the frequency range between 3.2 and 16 Hz. Tank experiments show that a direct influence of oleyl alcohol surface films on wave damping is confined to frequencies equal to or greater than 2 Hz; a further indirect effect of films on the damping of ocean waves in the frequency range between 0.12 and 0.7 Hz (by modifying the wind input and wave-wave interaction mechanisms) is also indicated

Exploitation of SAR data for measurement of ocean currents and wave velocities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shuchman, R. A.; Lyzenga, D. R.; Klooster, A., Jr.

1981-01-01

Methods of extracting information on ocean currents and wave orbital velocities from SAR data by an analysis of the Doppler frequency content of the data are discussed. The theory and data analysis methods are discussed, and results are presented for both aircraft and satellite (SEASAT) data sets. A method of measuring the phase velocity of a gravity wave field is also described. This method uses the shift in position of the wave crests on two images generated from the same data set using two separate Doppler bands. Results of the current measurements are pesented for 11 aircraft data sets and 4 SEASAT data sets.

Assessing the performance of formulations for nonlinear feedback of surface gravity waves on ocean currents over coastal waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Pengcheng; Sheng, Jinyu; Hannah, Charles

2017-08-01

This study presents applications of a two-way coupled wave-circulation modelling system over coastal waters, with a special emphasis of performance assessments of two different methods for nonlinear feedback of ocean surface gravity waves on three-dimensional (3D) ocean currents. These two methods are the vortex force (VF) formulation suggested by Bennis et al. (2011) and the latest version of radiation stress (RS) formulation suggested by Mellor (2015). The coupled modelling system is first applied to two idealized test cases of surf-zone scales to validate implementations of these two methods in the coupled wave-circulation system. Model results show that the latest version of RS has difficulties in producing the undertow over the surf zone. The coupled system is then applied to Lunenburg Bay (LB) of Nova Scotia during Hurricane Juan in 2003. The coupled system using both the VF and RS formulations generates much stronger and more realistic 3D circulation in the Bay during Hurricane Juan than the circulation-only model, demonstrating the importance of surface wave forces to the 3D ocean circulation over coastal waters. However, the RS formulation generates some weak unphysical currents outside the wave breaking zone due to a less reasonable representation for the vertical distribution of the RS gradients over a slopping bottom. These weak unphysical currents are significantly magnified in a two-way coupled system when interacting with large surface waves, degrading the model performance in simulating currents at one observation site. Our results demonstrate that the VF formulation with an appropriate parameterization of wave breaking effects is able to produce reasonable results for applications over coastal waters during extreme weather events. The RS formulation requires a complex wave theory rather than the linear wave theory for the approximation of a vertical RS term to improve its performance under both breaking and non-breaking wave conditions.

Final Reports for Contract N00014-87-K-0181 (University of Hawaii, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology)

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-01

CONTENT A. Administration B. Dynamics of Small-scale Ocean Motions (P. Muller) C. Seismic Anisotropy ( G . Fryer) D. Low Frequency Modulus Measurements...Manghnani G . Marching the Elastodynamic Wave Equation (N. Frazer) H. Theoretical & Computational Studies in Marine Seismology (N. Frazer) I. Correction and...Publication. and in the summary article: Muller, P.,E. D’Asaro and G . Holloway, 1991: Internal Gravity Waves and Mixing. EOS, T:ansactions, American

Medium-scale gravity wave activity in the bottomside F region in tropical regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Huixin; Pedatella, Nicholas; Hocke, Klemens

2017-07-01

Thermospheric gravity waves (GWs) in the bottomside F region have been proposed to play a key role in the generation of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs). However, direct observations of such waves are scarce. This study provides a systematic survey of medium-scale (<620 km) neutral atmosphere perturbations at this critical altitude in the tropics, using 4 years of in situ Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer satellite measurements of thermospheric density and zonal wind. The analysis reveals pronounced features on their global distribution and seasonal variability: (1) A prominent three-peak longitudinal structure exists in all seasons, with stronger perturbations over continents than over oceans. (2) Their seasonal variation consists of a primary semiannual oscillations (SAO) and a secondary annual oscillation (AO). The SAO component maximizes around solstices and minimizes around equinoxes, while the AO component maximizes around June solstice. These GW features resemble those of EPBs in spatial distribution but show opposite trend in climatological variations. This may imply that stronger medium-scale GW activity does not always lead to more EPBs. Possible origins of the bottomside GWs are discussed, among which tropical deep convection appears to be most plausible.

Acoustic Gravity Waves Generated by an Oscillating Ice Sheet in Arctic Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdolali, A.; Kadri, U.; Kirby, J. T., Jr.

2016-12-01

We investigate the formation of acoustic-gravity waves due to oscillations of large ice blocks, possibly triggered by atmospheric and ocean currents, ice block shrinkage or storms and ice-quakes.For the idealized case of a homogeneous weakly compressible water bounded at the surface by ice sheet and a rigid bed, the description of the infinite family of acoustic modes is characterized by the water depth h and angular frequency of oscillating ice sheet ω ; The acoustic wave field is governed by the leading mode given by: Nmax=\\floor {(ω h)/(π c)} where c is the sound speed in water and the special brackets represent the floor function (Fig1). Unlike the free-surface setting, the higher acoustic modes might exhibit a larger contribution and therefore all progressive acoustic modes have to be considered.This study focuses on the characteristics of acoustic-gravity waves generated by an oscillating elastic ice sheet in a weakly compressible fluid coupled with a free surface model [Abdolali et al. 2015] representing shrinking ice blocks in realistic sea state, where the randomly oriented ice sheets cause inter modal transition and multidirectional reflections. A theoretical solution and a 3D numerical model have been developed for the study purposes. The model is first validated against the theoretical solution [Kadri, 2016]. To overcome the computational difficulties of 3D models, we derive a depth-integrated equation valid for spatially varying ice sheet thickness and water depth. We show that the generated acoustic-gravity waves contribute significantly to deep ocean currents compared to other mechanisms. In addition, these waves travel at the sound speed in water carrying information on ice sheet motion, providing various implications for ocean monitoring and detection of ice-quakes. Fig1:Snapshots of dynamic pressure given by an oscillating ice sheet; h=4500m, c=1500m/s, semi-length b=10km, ζ =1m, omega=π rad/s. Abdolali, A., Kirby, J. T. and Bellotti, G., 2015, Depth-integrated equation for hydro-acoustic waves with bottom damping, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 766, R1 doi:10.1017/jfm.2015.37 Kadri, U., 2016, Generation of Hydroacoustic Waves by an Oscillating Ice Block in Arctic Zones, Advances in Acoustics and Vibration. 2016. doi:10.1155/2016/8076108

Infragravity waves in the deep ocean: An upward revision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aucan, J.; Ardhuin, F.

2013-07-01

Ocean infragravity waves are surface gravity waves with periods of several minutes and corresponding wavelengths of up to tens of kilometers. When propagating freely in the deep ocean, these waves are typically small, several centimeters at most, so they have been seldom studied. In the context of future wide-swath altimetry missions, these waves need to be better quantified as they have wavelengths that will be resolved by such instruments. Here, we analyze the global climatology and variability of infragravity waves in the deep ocean using data from over 40 open ocean locations, with depths larger than 2000 m. We show that typical infragravity wave heights are higher than previously estimated, with winter-averaged values up to 11 mm off the U.S. West Coast, and typically less than 6 mm in the tropics. The mid to high latitudes exhibit a strong seasonal cycle consistent with the local variability of the wind-waves, while the tropical Pacific has a higher energy level during the Austral winter that does not correlate well with the local wind-waves, suggesting a remote source for the recorded infragravity waves. These infragravity wave energies are expected to be a significant contribution to the error budget for possible measurements of sea level associated to sub-mesoscale currents at horizontal scales around 10 km. Hence, a global numerical model of infragravity waves will likely be necessary for the analysis of the planned Surface Water Ocean Topography mission.

Making Waves in the Sky off of Africa

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

On June 26, 2016, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this natural-color image of cloud gravity waves off the coast of Angola and Namibia. “I [regularly] look at this area on Worldview because you quite often have these gravity waves,” said Bastiaan Van Diedenhoven, a researcher for Columbia University and NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies interested in cloud formations. “On this day, there was so much going on—so many different waves from different directions—that they really started interfering.” A distinctive criss-cross pattern formed in unbroken stretches hundreds of kilometers long. Similar to a boat’s wake, which forms as the water is pushed upward by the boat and pulled downward again by gravity, these clouds are formed by the rise and fall of colliding air columns. Off of west Africa, dry air coming off the Namib desert—after being cooled by the night—moves out under the balmy, moist air over the ocean and bumps it upwards. As the humid air rises to a higher altitude, the moisture condenses into droplets, forming clouds. Gravity rolls these newly formed clouds into a wave-like shape. When moist air goes up, it cools, and then gravity pushes it down again. As it plummets toward the earth, the moist air is pushed up again by the dry air. Repeated again and again, this process creates gravity waves. Clouds occur at the upward wave motions, while they evaporate at the downward motions. Such waves will often propagate in the morning and early afternoon, said Van Diedenhoven. During the course of the day, the clouds move out to sea and stretch out, as the dry air flowing off the land pushes the moist ocean air westward. NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using data from the Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE). via @NASAEarth go.nasa.gov/29Btxcy NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Subduction factory 1. Theoretical mineralogy, densities, seismic wave speeds, and H2O contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hacker, Bradley R.; Abers, Geoffrey A.; Peacock, Simon M.

2003-01-01

We present a new compilation of physical properties of minerals relevant to subduction zones and new phase diagrams for mid-ocean ridge basalt, lherzolite, depleted lherzolite, harzburgite, and serpentinite. We use these data to calculate H2O content, density and seismic wave speeds of subduction zone rocks. These calculations provide a new basis for evaluating the subduction factory, including (1) the presence of hydrous phases and the distribution of H2O within a subduction zone; (2) the densification of the subducting slab and resultant effects on measured gravity and slab shape; and (3) the variations in seismic wave speeds resulting from thermal and metamorphic processes at depth. In considering specific examples, we find that for ocean basins worldwide the lower oceanic crust is partially hydrated (<1.3 wt % H2O), and the uppermost mantle ranges from unhydrated to ˜20% serpentinized (˜2.4 wt % H2O). Anhydrous eclogite cannot be distinguished from harzburgite on the basis of wave speeds, but its ˜6% greater density may render it detectable through gravity measurements. Subducted hydrous crust in cold slabs can persist to several gigapascals at seismic velocities that are several percent slower than the surrounding mantle. Seismic velocities and VP/VS ratios indicate that mantle wedges locally reach 60-80% hydration.

Determining probability distribution of coherent integration time near 133 Hz and 1346 km in the Pacific Ocean.

PubMed

Spiesberger, John L

2013-02-01

The hypothesis tested is that internal gravity waves limit the coherent integration time of sound at 1346 km in the Pacific ocean at 133 Hz and a pulse resolution of 0.06 s. Six months of continuous transmissions at about 18 min intervals are examined. The source and receiver are mounted on the bottom of the ocean with timing governed by atomic clocks. Measured variability is only due to fluctuations in the ocean. A model for the propagation of sound through fluctuating internal waves is run without any tuning with data. Excellent resemblance is found between the model and data's probability distributions of integration time up to five hours.

Three-wave and four-wave interactions in gravity wave turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aubourg, Quentin; Campagne, Antoine; Peureux, Charles; Ardhuin, Fabrice; Sommeria, Joel; Viboud, Samuel; Mordant, Nicolas

2017-11-01

Weak-turbulence theory is a statistical framework to describe a large ensemble of nonlinearly interacting waves. The archetypal example of such system is the ocean surface that is made of interacting surface gravity waves. Here we describe a laboratory experiment dedicated to probe the statistical properties of turbulent gravity waves. We set up an isotropic state of interacting gravity waves in the Coriolis facility (13-m-diam circular wave tank) by exciting waves at 1 Hz by wedge wave makers. We implement a stereoscopic technique to obtain a measurement of the surface elevation that is resolved in both space and time. Fourier analysis shows that the laboratory spectra are systematically steeper than the theoretical predictions and the field observations in the Black Sea by Leckler et al. [F. Leckler et al., J. Phys. Oceanogr. 45, 2484 (2015), 10.1175/JPO-D-14-0237.1]. We identify a strong impact of surface dissipation on the scaling of the Fourier spectrum at the scales that are accessible in the experiments. We use bicoherence and tricoherence statistical tools in frequency and/or wave-vector space to identify the active nonlinear coupling. These analyses are also performed on the field data by Leckler et al. for comparison with the laboratory data. Three-wave coupling is characterized by and shown to involve mostly quasiresonances of waves with second- or higher-order harmonics. Four-wave coupling is not observed in the laboratory but is evidenced in the field data. We discuss temporal scale separation to explain our observations.

Applications of acoustic-gravity waves numerical modeling to tsunami signals observed by gravimetry satellites in very low orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brissaud, Q.; Garcia, R.; Sladen, A.; Martin, R.; Komatitsch, D.

2016-12-01

Acoustic and gravity waves propagating in planetary atmospheres have been studied intensively as markers of specific phenomena (tectonic events, explosions) or as contributors to atmosphere dynamics. To get a better understanding of the physics behind these dynamic processes, both acoustic and gravity waves propagation should be modeled in an attenuating and windy 3D atmosphere from the ground all the way to the upper thermosphere. Thus, in order to provide an efficient numerical tool at the regional or global scale we introduce a high-order finite-difference time domain (FDTD) approach that relies on the linearized compressible Navier-Stokes equations with spatially non constant physical parameters (density, viscosities and speed of sound) and background velocities (wind). We present applications of these simulations to the propagation of gravity waves generated by tsunamis for realistic cases for which atmospheric models are extracted from empirical models including variations with altitude of atmospheric parameters, and tsunami forcing at the ocean surface is extracted from shallow water simulations. We describe the specific difficulties induced by the size of the simulation, the boundary conditions and the spherical geometry and compare the simulation outputs to data gathered by gravimetric satellites crossing gravity waves generated by tsunamis.

Tsunami normal modes with solid earth and atmospheric coupling and inversion of the TEC data to estimate tsunami water height in the case of the Queen Charlotte tsunami.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakoto, V.; Lognonne, P. H.; Rolland, L.

2016-12-01

Large underwater earthquakes (Mw > 7) can transmit part of their energy to the surrounding ocean through large sea-floor motions, generating tsunamis that propagate over long distances. The forcing effect of long period ocean surface vibrations due to tsunami waves on the atmosphere trigger atmospheric internal gravity waves (IGWs) that induce ionospheric disturbances when they reach the upper atmosphere. In this poster, we study the IGWs associated to tsunamis using a normal modes 1D modeling approach. Our model is first applied to the case of the October 2012 Haida Gwaii tsunami observed offshore Hawaii. We found three resonances between tsunami modes and the atmospheric gravity modes occurring around 1.5 mHz, 2 mHz and 2.5 mHz, with a large fraction of the energy of the tsunami modes transferred from the ocean to the atmosphere. At theses frequencies, the gravity branches are interacting with the tsunami one and have large amplitude in the ocean. As opposed to the tsunami, a fraction of their energy is therefore transferred from the atmosphere to the ocean. We also show that the fundamental of the gravity waves should arrive before the tsunami due to higher group velocity below 1.6 mHz. We demonstrate that only the 1.5 mHz resonance of the tsunami mode can trigger observable ionospheric perturbations, most often monitored using GPS dual-frequency measurements. Indeed, we show that the modes at 2 mHz and 2.5 mHz are already evanescent at the height of the F2 peak and have little energy in the ionosphere. This normal modes modeling offers a novel and comprehensive study of the transfer function from a propagating tsunami to the upper atmosphere. In particular, we can invert the perturbed TEC data induced by a tsunami in order to estimate the amplitude of the tsunami waveform using a least square method. This method has been performed in the case of the Haida Gwaii tsunami. The results showed a good agreement with the measurement of the dart buoy.

Gravity and Rossby Wave Signatures in the Tropical Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere Based on Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes (SHADOZ), 1998-2007

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Anne M.; Allen, Amber L.; Lee, Sukyoung; Miller, Sonya K.; Witte, Jacquelyn C.

2011-01-01

Prior investigations attempted to determine the relative influence of advection and convective processes on ozone and water vapor distributions in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) through analyses of tracers, related physical parameters (e.g., outgoing long-wave radiation, precipitable water, and temperature), or with models. In this study, stable laminae in Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesonde Network (SHADOZ) ozone profIles from 1998 to 2007 are interpreted in terms of gravity waves (GW) or Rossby waves (RW) that are identified with vertical and quasi-horizontal displacements, respectively. Using the method of Pierce and Grant (1998) as applied by Thompson et al. (2007a, 2007b, 2010, 2011), amplitudes and frequencies in ozone laminae are compared among representative SHADOZ sites over Africa and the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. GW signals maximize in the TTL and lower stratosphere. Depending on site and season, GW are identified in up to 90% of the soundings. GW are most prevalent over the Pacific and eastern Indian oceans, a distribution consistent with vertically propagating equatorial Kelvin waves. Ozone laminae from RW occur more often below the tropical tropopause and with lower frequency 20%). Gravity wave and Rossby wave indices (GWI, RWI) are formulated to facilitate analysis of interannual variability of wave signatures among sites. GWI is positively correlated with a standard ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) index over American Samoa (14degS, 171degW) and negatively correlated at Watukosek, Java (7.5degS, 114degE), Kuala Lumpur (3degN, 102degE), and Ascension Island (80degS, 15degW). Generally, the responses of GW and RW to ENSO are consistent with prior studies.

Wave effects on ocean-ice interaction in the marginal ice zone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Antony K.; Hakkinen, Sirpa; Peng, Chih Y.

1993-01-01

The effects of wave train on ice-ocean interaction in the marginal ice zone are studied through numerical modeling. A coupled two-dimensional ice-ocean model has been developed to include wave effects and wind stress for the predictions of ice edge dynamics. The sea ice model is coupled to the reduced-gravity ocean model through interfacial stresses. The main dynamic balance in the ice momentum is between water-ice stress, wind stress, and wave radiation stresses. By considering the exchange of momentum between waves and ice pack through radiation stress for decaying waves, a parametric study of the effects of wave stress and wind stress on ice edge dynamics has been performed. The numerical results show significant effects from wave action. The ice edge is sharper, and ice edge meanders form in the marginal ice zone owing to forcing by wave action and refraction of swell system after a couple of days. Upwelling at the ice edge and eddy formation can be enhanced by the nonlinear effects of wave action; wave action sharpens the ice edge and can produce ice meandering, which enhances local Ekman pumping and pycnocline anomalies. The resulting ice concentration, pycnocline changes, and flow velocity field are shown to be consistent with previous observations.

Chilean Tsunami Rocks the Ross Ice Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromirski, P. D.; Gerstoft, P.; Chen, Z.; Stephen, R. A.; Diez, A.; Arcas, D.; Wiens, D.; Aster, R. C.; Nyblade, A.

2016-12-01

The response of the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) to the September 16, 2015 9.3 Mb Chilean earthquake tsunami (> 75 s period) and infragravity (IG) waves (50 - 300 s period) were recorded by a broadband seismic array deployed on the RIS from November 2014 to November 2015. The array included two linear transects, one approximately orthogonal to the shelf front extending 430 km southward toward the grounding zone, and an east-west transect spanning the RIS roughly parallel to the front about 100 km south of the ice edge (https://scripps.ucsd.edu/centers/iceshelfvibes/). Signals generated by both the tsunami and IG waves were recorded at all stations on floating ice, with little ocean wave-induced energy reaching stations on grounded ice. Cross-correlation and dispersion curve analyses indicate that tsunami and IG wave-generated signals propagate across the RIS at gravity wave speeds (about 70 m/s), consistent with coupled water-ice flexural-gravity waves propagating through the ice shelf from the north. Gravity wave excitation at periods > 100 s is continuously observed during the austral winter, providing mechanical excitation of the RIS throughout the year. Horizontal displacements are typically about 3 times larger than vertical displacements, producing extensional motions that could facilitate expansion of existing fractures. The vertical and horizontal spectra in the IG band attenuate exponentially with distance from the front. Tsunami model data are used to assess variability of excitation of the RIS by long period gravity waves. Substantial variability across the RIS roughly parallel to the front is observed, likely resulting from a combination of gravity wave amplitude variability along the front, signal attenuation, incident angle of the wave forcing at the front that depends on wave generation location as well as bathymetry under and north of the shelf, and water layer and ice shelf thickness and properties.

Linking source region and ocean wave parameters with the observed primary microseismic noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juretzek, C.; Hadziioannou, C.

2017-12-01

In previous studies, the contribution of Love waves to the primary microseismic noise field was found to be comparable to those of Rayleigh waves. However, so far only few studies analysed both wave types present in this microseismic noise band, which is known to be generated in shallow water and the theoretical understanding has mainly evolved for Rayleigh waves only. Here, we study the relevance of different source region parameters on the observed primary microseismic noise levels of Love and Rayleigh waves simultaneously. By means of beamforming and correlation of seismic noise amplitudes with ocean wave heights in the period band between 12 and 15 s, we analysed how source areas of both wave types compare with each other around Europe. The generation effectivity in different source regions was compared to ocean wave heights, peak ocean gravity wave propagation direction and bathymetry. Observed Love wave noise amplitudes correlate comparably well with near coastal ocean wave parameters as Rayleigh waves. Some coastal regions serve as especially effective sources for one or the other wave type. These coincide not only with locations of high wave heights but also with complex bathymetry. Further, Rayleigh and Love wave noise amplitudes seem to depend equally on the local ocean wave heights, which is an indication for a coupled variation with swell height during the generation of both wave types. However, the wave-type ratio varies directionally. This observation likely hints towards a spatially varying importance of different source mechanisms or structural influences. Further, the wave-type ratio is modulated depending on peak ocean wave propagation directions which could indicate a variation of different source mechanism strengths but also hints towards an imprint of an effective source radiation pattern. This emphasizes that the inclusion of both wave types may provide more constraints for the understanding of acting generation mechanisms.

Generation of internal solitary waves by frontally forced intrusions in geophysical flows.

PubMed

Bourgault, Daniel; Galbraith, Peter S; Chavanne, Cédric

2016-12-06

Internal solitary waves are hump-shaped, large-amplitude waves that are physically analogous to surface waves except that they propagate within the fluid, along density steps that typically characterize the layered vertical structure of lakes, oceans and the atmosphere. As do surface waves, internal solitary waves may overturn and break, and the process is thought to provide a globally significant source of turbulent mixing and energy dissipation. Although commonly observed in geophysical fluids, the origins of internal solitary waves remain unclear. Here we report a rarely observed natural case of the birth of internal solitary waves from a frontally forced interfacial gravity current intruding into a two-layer and vertically sheared background environment. The results of the analysis carried out suggest that fronts may represent additional and unexpected sources of internal solitary waves in regions of lakes, oceans and atmospheres that are dynamically similar to the situation examined here in the Saguenay Fjord, Canada.

Imaging, radio, and modeling results pertaining to the ionospheric signature of the 11 March 2011 tsunami over the Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makela, J. J.; Lognonne, P.; Occhipinti, G.; Hebert, H.; Gehrels, T.; Coisson, P.; Rolland, L. M.; Allgeyer, S.; Kherani, A.

2011-12-01

The Mw=9.0 earthquake that occurred off the east coast of Honshu, Japan on 11 March 2011 launched a tsunami that traveled across the Pacific Ocean, in turn launching vertically propagating atmospheric gravity waves. Upon reaching 250-350 km in altitude, these waves impressed their signature on the thermosphere/ionosphere system. We present observations of this signature obtained using a variety of radio instruments and an imaging system located on the islands of Hawaii. These measurements represent the first optical images recorded of the airglow signature resulting from the passage of a tsunami. Results from these instruments clearly show wave structure propagating in the upper atmosphere with the same velocity as the ocean tsunami, emphasizing the coupled nature of the ocean, atmosphere, and ionosphere. Modeling results are also presented to highlight current understandings of this coupling process.

Three-Dimensional Acoustic Propagation Through Shallow Water Internal, Surface Gravity and Bottom Sediment Waves

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

energy never ends. I am also very pleased to have Dr. William M. Carey, Dr. Henrik Schmidt, Dr. Glen G. Gawarkiewicz and Dr. Pierre Lermusiaux on my...Internal Waves for Multi- Megameter Acoustic Propagation in the Ocean, J. Acoust. Soc. Amer., Vol. 100, P. 3607-3620, 1996. [6] J.R. Apel , M. Badiey

Near-Inertial Internal Gravity Waves in the Ocean.

PubMed

Alford, Matthew H; MacKinnon, Jennifer A; Simmons, Harper L; Nash, Jonathan D

2016-01-01

We review the physics of near-inertial waves (NIWs) in the ocean and the observations, theory, and models that have provided our present knowledge. NIWs appear nearly everywhere in the ocean as a spectral peak at and just above the local inertial period f, and the longest vertical wavelengths can propagate at least hundreds of kilometers toward the equator from their source regions; shorter vertical wavelengths do not travel as far and do not contain as much energy, but lead to turbulent mixing owing to their high shear. NIWs are generated by a variety of mechanisms, including the wind, nonlinear interactions with waves of other frequencies, lee waves over bottom topography, and geostrophic adjustment; the partition among these is not known, although the wind is likely the most important. NIWs likely interact strongly with mesoscale and submesoscale motions, in ways that are just beginning to be understood.

Spectral evolution and extreme value analysis of non-linear numerical simulations of narrow band random surface gravity waves.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Socquet-Juglard, H.; Dysthe, K. B.; Trulsen, K.; Liu, J.; Krogstad, H. E.

2003-04-01

Numerical simulations of a narrow band gaussian spectrum of random surface gravity waves have been carried out in two and three spatial dimensions [7]. Different types of non-linear Schr&{uml;o}dinger equations, [1] and [4], have been used in these simulations. Simulations have now been carried with a JONSWAP spectrum associated with a spreading function of the type cosine-squared [5]. The evolution of the spectrum, skewness, kurtosis, ... will be presented. In addition, some results about stochastic properties of the surface will be shown. Based on the approach found in [2], [3] and [6], the results are presented in terms of deviations from linear Gaussian theory and the standard second order small slope perturbation theory. begin{thebibliography}{9} bibitem{kk96} Trulsen, K. &Dysthe, K. B. (1996). A modified nonlinear Schr&{uml;o}dinger equation for broader bandwidth gravity waves on deep water. Wave Motion, 24, pp. 281-289. bibitem{BK2000} Krogstad, H.E. and S.F. Barstow (2000). A uniform approach to extreme value analysis of ocean waves, Proc. ISOPE'2000, Seattle, USA, 3, pp. 103-108. bibitem{PRK} Prevosto, M., H. E. Krogstad and A. Robin (2000). Probability distributions for maximum wave and crest heights, Coast. Eng., 40, 329-360. bibitem{ketal} Trulsen, K., Kliakhandler, I., Dysthe, K. B. &Velarde, M. G. (2000) On weakly nonlinear modulation of waves on deep water, Phys. Fluids, 12, pp. L25-L28. bibitem{onorato} Onorato, M., Osborne, A.R. and Serio, M. (2002) Extreme wave events in directional, random oceanic sea states, Phys. Fluids, 14, pp. 2432-2437. bibitem{BK2002} Krogstad, H.E. and S.F. Barstow (2002). Analysis and Applications of Second Order Models for the Maximum Crest height, % Proc. 21nd Int. Conf. Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, Oslo. Paper no. OMAE2002-28479. bibitem{JFMP} Dysthe, K. B., Trulsen, K., Krogstad, H. E. and Socquet-Juglard, H. (2002, in press) Evolution of a narrow band spectrum of random surface gravity waves, J. Fluid Mech.

Flexural-gravity Wave Attenuation in a Thick Ice Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephen, R. A.; Bromirski, P. D.; Gerstoft, P.; Chen, Z.; Wiens, D.; Aster, R. C.; Nyblade, A.

2016-12-01

A thirty-four station broadband seismic array was deployed on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica from November 2014 to November 2017. Analyses indicate that phase speeds of infra-gravity wave and tsunami excitation in the 0.003 to 0.02 Hz band are 70 m/s, corresponding to the low frequency limit of flexural-gravity waves. Median spectral amplitudes in this band decay exponentially with distance from the shelf edge in a manner consistent with intrinsic attenuation. Seismic Q is typically 7-9, with an RMS amplitude decay of 0.04-0.05dB/km and an e-folding distance of 175-220 km. Amplitudes do not appear to drop crossing crevasse fields. Vertical and horizontal acceleration levels at stations on the floating ice shelf are 50 dB higher than those on grounded ice. Horizontal accelerations are about 15 dB higher than vertical accelerations. Median spectral levels at 0.003 Hz are within 6 dB for stations from 2 to 430 km from the shelf edge. In contrast, the levels drop by 90 dB at 0.02 Hz. Ocean gravity wave excitation has been proposed as a mechanism that can weaken ice shelves and potentially trigger disintegration events. These measurements indicate that the propensity for shelf weakening and disintegration decays exponentially with distance from the ice front for gravity waves in the 0.003 to 0.02Hz band.

Observations with the ROWS instrument during the Grand Banks calibration/validation experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vandemark, D.; Chapron, B.

1994-01-01

As part of a global program to validate the ocean surface sensors on board ERS-1, a joint experiment on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland was carried out in Nov. 1991. The principal objective was to provide a field validation of ERS-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) measurement of ocean surface structure. The NASA-P3 aircraft measurements made during this experiment provide independent measurements of the ocean surface along the validation swath. The Radar Ocean Wave Spectrometer (ROWS) is a radar sensor designed to measure direction of the long wave components using spectral analysis of the tilt induced radar backscatter modulation. This technique greatly differs from SAR and thus, provides a unique set of measurements for use in evaluating SAR performance. Also, an altimeter channel in the ROWS gives simultaneous information on the surface wave height and radar mean square slope parameter. The sets of geophysical parameters (wind speed, significant wave height, directional spectrum) are used to study the SAR's ability to accurately measure ocean gravity waves. The known distortion imposed on the true directional spectrum by the SAR imaging mechanism is discussed in light of the direct comparisons between ERS-1 SAR, airborne Canadian Center for Remote Sensing (CCRS) SAR, and ROWS spectra and the use of the nonlinear ocean SAR transform.

Langmuir cells and mixing in the upper ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carniel, S.; Sclavo, M.; Kantha, L. H.; Clayson, C. A.

2005-01-01

The presence of surface gravity waves at the ocean surface has two important effects on turbulence in the oceanic mixed layer (ML): the wave breaking and the Langmuir cells (LC). Both these effects act as additional sources of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in the oceanic ML, and hence are important to mixing in the upper ocean. The breaking of high wave-number components of the wind wave spectrum provides an intense but sporadic source of turbulence in the upper surface; turbulence thus injected diffuses downward, while decaying rapidly, modifying oceanic near-surface properties which in turn could affect the air-sea transfer of heat and dissolved gases. LC provide another source of additional turbulence in the water column; they are counter-rotating cells inside the ML, with their axes roughly aligned in the direction of the wind (Langmuir I., Science871938119). These structures are usually made evident by the presence of debris and foam in the convergence area of the cells, and are generated by the interaction of the wave-field-induced Stokes drift with the wind-induced shear stress. LC have long been thought to have a substantial influence on mixing in the upper ocean, but the difficulty in their parameterization have made ML modelers consistently ignore them in the past. However, recent Large Eddy Simulations (LES) studies suggest that it is possible to include their effect on mixing by simply adding additional production terms in the turbulence equations, thus enabling even 1D models to incorporate LC-driven turbulence. Since LC also modify the Coriolis terms in the mean momentum equations by the addition of a term involving the Stokes drift, their effect on the velocity structure in the ML is also quite significant and could have a major impact on the drift of objects and spilled oil in the upper ocean. In this paper we examine the effect of surface gravity waves on mixing in the upper ocean, focusing on Langmuir circulations, which is by far the dominant part of the surface wave contribution to mixing. Oceanic ML models incorporating these effects are applied to an observation station in the Northern Adriatic Sea to see what the extent of these effects might be. It is shown that the surface wave effects can indeed be significant; in particular, the modification of the velocity profile due to LC-generated turbulence can be large under certain conditions. However, the surface wave effects on the bulk properties of the ML, such as the associated temperature, while significant, are generally speaking well within the errors introduced by uncertainties in the external forcing of the models. This seems to be the reason why ML models, though pretty much ignoring surface wave effects until recently, have been reasonably successful in depicting the evolution of the mixed layer temperature (MLT) at various timescales.

Adaptation of a general circulation model to ocean dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, R. E.; Rees, T. H.; Woodbury, G. E.

1976-01-01

A primitive-variable general circulation model of the ocean was formulated in which fast external gravity waves are suppressed with rigid-lid surface constraint pressires which also provide a means for simulating the effects of large-scale free-surface topography. The surface pressure method is simpler to apply than the conventional stream function models, and the resulting model can be applied to both global ocean and limited region situations. Strengths and weaknesses of the model are also presented.

Complete synthetic seismograms based on a spherical self-gravitating Earth model with an atmosphere-ocean-mantle-core structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Rongjiang; Heimann, Sebastian; Zhang, Yong; Wang, Hansheng; Dahm, Torsten

2017-04-01

A hybrid method is proposed to calculate complete synthetic seismograms based on a spherically symmetric and self-gravitating Earth with a multi-layered structure of atmosphere, ocean, mantle, liquid core and solid core. For large wavelengths, a numerical scheme is used to solve the geodynamic boundary-value problem without any approximation on the deformation and gravity coupling. With the decreasing wavelength, the gravity effect on the deformation becomes negligible and the analytical propagator scheme can be used. Many useful approaches are used to overcome the numerical problems that may arise in both analytical and numerical schemes. Some of these approaches have been established in the seismological community and the others are developed for the first time. Based on the stable and efficient hybrid algorithm, an all-in-one code QSSP is implemented to cover the complete spectrum of seismological interests. The performance of the code is demonstrated by various tests including the curvature effect on teleseismic body and surface waves, the appearance of multiple reflected, teleseismic core phases, the gravity effect on long period surface waves and free oscillations, the simulation of near-field displacement seismograms with the static offset, the coupling of tsunami and infrasound waves, and free oscillations of the solid Earth, the atmosphere and the ocean. QSSP is open source software that can be used as a stand-alone FORTRAN code or may be applied in combination with a Python toolbox to calculate and handle Green's function databases for efficient coding of source inversion problems.

Complete synthetic seismograms based on a spherical self-gravitating Earth model with an atmosphere-ocean-mantle-core structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Rongjiang; Heimann, Sebastian; Zhang, Yong; Wang, Hansheng; Dahm, Torsten

2017-09-01

A hybrid method is proposed to calculate complete synthetic seismograms based on a spherically symmetric and self-gravitating Earth with a multilayered structure of atmosphere, ocean, mantle, liquid core and solid core. For large wavelengths, a numerical scheme is used to solve the geodynamic boundary-value problem without any approximation on the deformation and gravity coupling. With decreasing wavelength, the gravity effect on the deformation becomes negligible and the analytical propagator scheme can be used. Many useful approaches are used to overcome the numerical problems that may arise in both analytical and numerical schemes. Some of these approaches have been established in the seismological community and the others are developed for the first time. Based on the stable and efficient hybrid algorithm, an all-in-one code QSSP is implemented to cover the complete spectrum of seismological interests. The performance of the code is demonstrated by various tests including the curvature effect on teleseismic body and surface waves, the appearance of multiple reflected, teleseismic core phases, the gravity effect on long period surface waves and free oscillations, the simulation of near-field displacement seismograms with the static offset, the coupling of tsunami and infrasound waves, and free oscillations of the solid Earth, the atmosphere and the ocean. QSSP is open source software that can be used as a stand-alone FORTRAN code or may be applied in combination with a Python toolbox to calculate and handle Green's function databases for efficient coding of source inversion problems.

The family of anisotropically scaled equatorial waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

RamíRez GutiéRrez, Enver; da Silva Dias, Pedro Leite; Raupp, Carlos; Bonatti, Jose Paulo

2011-04-01

In the present work we introduce the family of anisotropic equatorial waves. This family corresponds to equatorial waves at intermediate states between the shallow water and the long wave approximation model. The new family is obtained by using anisotropic time/space scalings on the linearized, unforced and inviscid shallow water model. It is shown that the anisotropic equatorial waves tend to the solutions of the long wave model in one extreme and to the shallow water model solutions in the other extreme of the parameter dependency. Thus, the problem associated with the completeness of the long wave model solutions can be asymptotically addressed. The anisotropic dispersion relation is computed and, in addition to the typical dependency on the equivalent depth, meridional quantum number and zonal wavenumber, it also depends on the anisotropy between both zonal to meridional space and velocity scales as well as the fast to slow time scales ratio. For magnitudes of the scales compatible with those of the tropical region, both mixed Rossby-gravity and inertio-gravity waves are shifted to a moderately higher frequency and, consequently, not filtered out. This draws attention to the fact that, for completeness of the long wave like solutions, it is necessary to include both the anisotropic mixed Rossby-gravity and inertio-gravity waves. Furthermore, the connection of slow and fast manifolds (distinguishing feature of equatorial dynamics) is preserved, though modified for the equatorial anisotropy parameters used δ ∈ < 1]. New possibilities of horizontal and vertical scale nonlinear interactions are allowed. Thus, the anisotropic shallow water model is of fundamental importance for understanding multiscale atmosphere and ocean dynamics in the tropics.

An Asymptotic and Stochastic Theory for the Effects of Surface Gravity Waves on Currents and Infragravity Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McWilliams, J. C.; Lane, E.; Melville, K.; Restrepo, J.; Sullivan, P.

2004-12-01

Oceanic surface gravity waves are approximately irrotational, weakly nonlinear, and conservative, and they have a much shorter time scale than oceanic currents and longer waves (e.g., infragravity waves) --- except where the primary surface waves break. This provides a framework for an asymptotic theory, based on separation of time (and space) scales, of wave-averaged effects associated with the conservative primary wave dynamics combined with a stochastic representation of the momentum transfer and induced mixing associated with non-conservative wave breaking. Such a theory requires only modest information about the primary wave field from measurements or operational model forecasts and thus avoids the enormous burden of calculating the waves on their intrinsically small space and time scales. For the conservative effects, the result is a vortex force associated with the primary wave's Stokes drift; a wave-averaged Bernoulli head and sea-level set-up; and an incremental material advection by the Stokes drift. This can be compared to the "radiation stress" formalism of Longuet-Higgins, Stewart, and Hasselmann; it is shown to be a preferable representation since the radiation stress is trivial at its apparent leading order. For the non-conservative breaking effects, a population of stochastic impulses is added to the current and infragravity momentum equations with distribution functions taken from measurements. In offshore wind-wave equilibria, these impulses replace the conventional surface wind stress and cause significant differences in the surface boundary layer currents and entrainment rate, particularly when acting in combination with the conservative vortex force. In the surf zone, where breaking associated with shoaling removes nearly all of the primary wave momentum and energy, the stochastic forcing plays an analogous role as the widely used nearshore radiation stress parameterizations. This talk describes the theoretical framework and presents some preliminary solutions using it. McWilliams, J.C., J.M. Restrepo, & E.M. Lane, 2004: An asymptotic theory for the interaction of waves and currents in coastal waters. J. Fluid Mech. 511, 135-178. Sullivan, P.P., J.C. McWilliams, & W.K. Melville, 2004: The oceanic boundary layer driven by wave breaking with stochastic variability. J. Fluid Mech. 507, 143-174.

Inversion of gravity and bathymetry in oceanic regions for long-wavelength variations in upper mantle temperature and composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, Sean C.; Jordan, Thomas H.

1993-01-01

Long-wavelength variations in geoid height, bathymetry, and SS-S travel times are all relatable to lateral variations in the characteristic temperature and bulk composition of the upper mantle. The temperature and composition are in turn relatable to mantle convection and the degree of melt extraction from the upper mantle residuum. Thus the combined inversion of the geoid or gravity field, residual bathymetry, and seismic velocity information offers the promise of resolving fundamental aspects of the pattern of mantle dynamics. The use of differential body wave travel times as a measure of seismic velocity information, in particular, permits resolution of lateral variations at scales not resolvable by conventional global or regional-scale seismic tomography with long-period surface waves. These intermediate scale lengths, well resolved in global gravity field models, are crucial for understanding the details of any chemical or physical layering in the mantle and of the characteristics of so-called 'small-scale' convection beneath oceanic lithosphere. In 1991 a three-year project to the NASA Geophysics Program was proposed to carry out a systematic inversion of long-wavelength geoid anomalies, residual bathymetric anomalies, and differential SS-S travel time delays for the lateral variation in characteristic temperature and bulk composition of the oceanic upper mantle. The project was funded as a three-year award, beginning on 1 Jan. 1992.

Proceedings of Hawaiian Winter Workshop (6th) on Dynamics of Oceanic Internal Gravity Waves Held in Manoa, Hawaii on 15-18 January 1991

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-11-01

Gravity Waves 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) MUller, Peter and Henderson, Diane (eds.) 13a. TYPE OF REPORT 13b TIME COVERED 14. DATE OF REPORT (Year, Month, Day) 15...differ by 27r in defining the buoyancy scale.) Because the largest overturns must be several times larger than Dillon’s rms scale, LB is a good upper...0.6 times GM76 at 0.01 cpm. From there, they slope upward as k+ 0.0 7 and k+0 16. The shallow spectrum makes a sharp transition at the rolloff and

Damping of short gravity-capillary waves due to oil derivatives film on the water surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sergievskaya, Irina; Ermakov, Stanislav; Lazareva, Tatyana

2016-10-01

In this paper new results of laboratory studies of damping of gravity-capillary waves on the water surface covered by kerosene are presented and compared with our previous analysis of characteristics of crude oil and diesel fuel films. Investigations of kerosene films were carried out in a wide range values of film thicknesses (from some hundreds millimetres to a few millimetres) and in a wide range of surface wave frequencies (from 10 to 27 Hz). The selected frequency range corresponds to the operating wavelengths of microwave, X- to Ka-band radars typically used for the ocean remote sensing. The studied range of film thickness covers typical thicknesses of routine spills in the ocean. It is obtained that characteristics of waves, measured in the presence of oil derivatives films differ from those for crude oil films, in particular, because the volume viscosity of oil derivatives and crude oil is strongly different. To retrieve parameters of kerosene films from the experimental data the surface wave damping was analyzed theoretically in the frame of a model of two-layer fluid. The films are assumed to be soluble, so the elasticity on the upper and lower boundaries is considered as a function of wave frequency. Physical parameters of oil derivative films were estimated when tuning the film parameters to fit theory and experiment. Comparison between wave damping due to crude oil, kerosene and diesel fuel films have shown some capabilities of distinguishing of oil films from remote sensing of short surface waves.

Gravity Waves

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-19

... or frontal activity. This image is centered over the Indian Ocean (at about 38.9° South, 80.6° East), and was acquired on October ... System-2 path 134. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission ...

Role of Compressibility on Tsunami Propagation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdolali, Ali; Kirby, James T.

2017-12-01

In the present paper, we aim to reduce the discrepancies between tsunami arrival times evaluated from tsunami models and real measurements considering the role of ocean compressibility. We perform qualitative studies to reveal the phase speed reduction rate via a modified version of the Mild Slope Equation for Weakly Compressible fluid (MSEWC) proposed by Sammarco et al. (2013). The model is validated against a 3-D computational model. Physical properties of surface gravity waves are studied and compared with those for waves evaluated from an incompressible flow solver over realistic geometry for 2011 Tohoku-oki event, revealing reduction in phase speed.