Deep water observations of extreme waves with moored and free GPS buoys

Point-positioning GPS-based wave measurements were conducted by deep ocean (over 5,000 m) surface buoys moored in the North West Pacific Ocean in 2009, 2012, and 2013. The observed surface elevation bears statistical characteristics of Gaussian, spectrally narrow ocean waves. The tail of the averaged spectrum follows the frequency to the power of ?4 slope, and the significant wave height and period satisfies the Toba’s 3/2 law. The observations compare well with a numerical wave hindcast. Two large freak waves exceeding 13 m in height were observed in October 2009 and three extreme waves around 20 m in height were observed in October 2012 and in January 2013. These extreme events are associated with passages of a typhoon and a mid-latitude cyclone. Horizontal movement of the buoy revealed that the orbital motion of the waves at the peak of the wave group mostly exceed the weakly nonlinear estimate. For some cases, the orbital velocity exceeded the group velocity, which might indicate a breaking event but is not conclusive yet.     

Wave climate and long-term changes for the Southern North Sea obtained from a high-resolution hindcast 1958–2002

An analysis of the extreme wave conditions in 1958–2002 in the North Sea as obtained from a regional model hindcast is presented. The model was driven by hourly wind fields obtained from a regional atmosphere model forced with reanalysis data from the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP/NCAR). Furthermore, observed sea ice conditions from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute have been accounted for in the simulation. It is shown that the model is capable of reproducing extreme wave height statistics at a reasonable degree of approximation. The analysis of severe wave height events reveals that for much of the Southern North Sea, their number has increased since the beginning of the simulation period (1958), although the increase has attenuated later and leveled off around about 1985. On the other hand, the intensity and duration of severe wave height events decreased within the last few years of the simulation so that annual 99%-ile wave heights have also reduced since about 1990–1995. For the UK North Sea coast, a different behavior was found characterized by a reduction in severe wave conditions over much of the hindcast period.     

利用GRACE数据反演东海沉积物变化

GRACE卫星的成功发射为海底沉积物的监测提供了新的方法.利用2003-2014年间的GRACERL05数据,采用同期的测高数据对海面高变化进行改正,使用水文模式数据和基于均一假设的尺度因子估计方法处理泄漏误差,反演了东海地区的沉积物变化情况,并对GIA效应进行了改正.结果表明:东海入海口处沉积物的平均变化速率为5.44±0.88mm·a^-1,最大值出现在浙江沿海地区,变化速率为6~7mm·a^-1;在空间分布上,呈现河口处沉积速率大,远离河口的大洋地区沉积速率小的特征.在时空分布上均与实测数据很好的吻合.沉积物变化时间序列的周年项振为6.8cm,周年变化主要与东海泥沙扩散路径相关的海洋环流模式有关;半周年项和两周年项振幅分别为0.6cm和0.7cm,这两项变化主要与长江流域降水引起的土壤侵蚀变化有关.最后,分析讨论了本文沉积物监测方法推广到其他地区的适用性和局限性.     

Tide–surge interactions and their effects on total sea levels in Irish coastal waters

The research presented in this paper involves the application of the joint probability method to the estimation of extreme water levels resulting from astronomical tides and surge residuals and the investigation of the effects of tide–surge interactions on extreme water levels. The distribution of tide peaks was analysed from field records (<20 years) and a 46-year dataset of monthly maximum tidal amplitudes. Large surges were extracted from both field records and a numerical model hindcast covering the 48 largest storm events in the Irish Sea over the period 1959–2005. Extreme storm surges and tides were independently modelled using the generalised extreme value statistical model, and derived probability distributions were used to compute extreme water levels. An important, and novel, aspect of this research is an analysis of tide–surge interactions and their effects on total water level; where interactions exist, they lead to lower total water levels than in the case of independency. The degree of decrease varies with interaction strength, magnitude of surge peak at a particular phase of tide and the distribution of peaks over a tidal cycle. Therefore, including interactions in the computation of extreme levels may provide very useful information at the design stage of coastal protection systems.     

我国大陆地区和近海海域能量收支分布及其季节变化的数值模拟研究

应用美国宇航局Goddard地球观测系统四维资料同化系统、计算了我国大陆地区和近海海域1998年各月月平均能量收支各项和10m气温、比湿及风矢量的地理分布特征. 模式计算结果表明,地表短波净辐射最强出现在夏季(7月)新疆和西藏中部地区,高值中心区可达275W/m2,在黄海东海海域春季(4月)最大,其值为250W/m2左右. 地表长波净辐射最强出现在夏季(7月)我国西北地区,中心区值为125W/m2,我国近海海域在冬季(1月)最强,其值为75-100W/m2. 我国近海海面,冬季(1月)潜热通量值高于一般月份,中心区值可达250W/m2,夏季我国大陆西南、华北和东北一带为潜热通量高值区,其值为125W/m2. 月平均能量收支计算结果显示,在黄海、东海海域冬季(1月)净通量为海洋向大气输送,夏季(7月)则反之,新疆和西藏高原中部夏季为净通量正值区. 综合温度、湿度和风矢量场分布发现,夏季从南海向华东地区,孟加拉湾向印度次大陆有明显的水汽平流输送,西藏西南部也有来自西南方向的水汽输送.     

Development of waves under explosive cyclones in the Northwestern Pacific

The development of ocean waves under explosive cyclones (ECs) is investigated in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean using a hindcast wave simulation around Japan during the period 1994 through 2014. A composite analysis of the ocean wave fields under ECs is used to investigate how the spatial patterns of the spectral wave parameters develop over time. Using dual criteria of a drop in sea level pressure below 980 hPa at the center of a cyclone and a decrease of at least 12 hPa over a 12-h period, ECs are identified in atmospheric reanalysis data. Two areas under an EC were identified with narrow directional spectra: the cold side of a warm front and the right-hand side of an EC (relative to the propagating direction). Because ECs are associated with atmospheric fronts, ocean waves develop very differently under ECs than they do under tropical cyclones. Moreover, ECs evolve very rapidly such that the development of the ocean wave field lags behind the peak wind speed by hours. In a case study of an EC that occurred in January 2013, the wave spectrum indicates that a warm front played a critical role in generating distinct ocean wave systems in the warm and cold zones along the warm front. Both the warm and cold zones have narrow directional and frequency spectra. In contrast, the ocean wave field in the third quadrant (rear left area relative to the propagation direction) of the EC is composed of swell and wind sea systems propagating in different directions.     

Wave climate simulation for southern region of the South China Sea

This study investigates long-term variability and wave characteristic trends in the southern region of the South China Sea (SCS). We implemented the state-of-the art WAVEWATCH III spectral wave model to simulate a 31-year wave hindcast. The simulation results were used to assess the inter-annual variability and long-term changes in the SCS wave climate for the period 1979 to 2009. The model was forced with Climate Forecast System Reanalysis winds and validated against altimeter data and limited available measurements from an Acoustic Wave and Current recorder located offshore of Terengganu, Malaysia. The mean annual significant wave height and peak wave period indicate the occurrence of higher wave heights and wave periods in the central SCS and lower in the Sunda shelf region. Consistent with wind patterns, the wave direction also shows southeasterly (northwesterly) waves during the summer (winter) monsoon. This detailed hindcast demonstrates strong inter-annual variability of wave heights, especially during the winter months in the SCS. Significant wave height correlated negatively with Niño3.4 index during winter, spring and autumn seasons but became positive in the summer monsoon. Such correlations correspond well with surface wind anomalies over the SCS during El Nino events. During El Niño Modoki, the summer time positive correlation extends northeastwards to cover the entire domain. Although significant positive trends were found at 95 % confidence levels during May, July and September, there is significant negative trend in December covering the Sunda shelf region. However, the trend appears to be largely influenced by large El Niño signals.     

A long-term nearshore wave hindcast for Ireland: Atlantic and Irish Sea coasts (1979–2012)

The Northeast Atlantic possesses some of the highest wave energy levels in the world. The recent years have witnessed a renewed interest in harnessing this vast energy potential. Due to the complicated geomorphology of the Irish coast, there can be a significant variation in both the wave and wind climate. Long-term hindcasts with high spatial resolution, properly calibrated against available measurements, provide vital information for future deployments of ocean renewable energy installations. These can aid in the selection of adequate locations for potential deployment and for the planning and design of those marine operations. A 34-year (from 1979 to 2012), high-resolution wave hindcast was performed for Ireland including both the Atlantic and Irish Sea coasts, with a particular focus on the wave energy resource. The wave climate was estimated using the third-generation spectral wave model WAVEWATCH III®; version 4.11, the unstructured grid formulation. The wave model was forced with directional wave spectral data and 10-m winds from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA-Interim reanalysis, which is available from 1979 to the present. The model was validated against available observed satellite altimeter and buoy data, particularly in the nearshore, and was found to be excellent. A strong spatial and seasonal variability was found for both significant wave heights, and the wave energy flux, particularly on the north and west coasts. A strong correlation between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) teleconnection pattern and wave heights, wave periods, and peak direction in winter and also, to a lesser extent, in spring was identified.     

Interbasin freshwater,heat and salt transport through the boundaries of the East and South China Seas from a variable-grid global ocean circulation model

It has long been recognized that the circulation in the East China Sea (ECS) and Japan/East Sea (JES) is closely related with that in Pacific, especially with the Kuroshio (e.g., Nitani[1], Hi-daka[2]). Based on current measurements in the Taiwan Strait a…     

Long-term statistics of potentially hazardous sea states in the North Sea 1958–2014

Significant wave height and mean wave period are two of the most commonly used parameters to describe wave climate, wave climate variability, and their potential long-term changes. While these parameters are generally useful to characterize the distribution of waves within a given sea state, they provide less information about potentially high-risk situations. Over the recent years, a number of criteria were suggested that are considered to better characterize high-risk situations and which could bear a potential for the development of safety warning indices. Based on a multi-decadal high-resolution wind-wave hindcast, a climatology of such parameters is developed for the North Sea covering the years 1958–2014. More specifically, average conditions, inter-annual variability and long-term changes for unusually steep, rapidly developing and crossing sea states are considered. Generally, there are pronounced spatial variations in the frequency of such sea states, while over time, there is some seasonal and inter-annual variability but no substantial long-term trend could be identified.     

An assessment of the impact of surface currents on wave modeling in the Southern Ocean

This paper presents an assessment of the impact of the ocean circulation on modeled wave fields in the Southern Ocean, where a systematic positive bias of the modeled wave height against altimetry data has been reported. The inclusion of ocean currents in the wave model considerably reduces the positive bias of the simulated wave height for high southern latitudes. The decrease of wave energy in the presence of currents is almost exclusively related to the reduction of the relative wind, caused by an overall co-flowing current field associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Improvements of the model results are also found for the peak period and the mean period against a long-term moored buoy. At the mooring location, the effect of currents is greater for larger and longer waves, suggesting remotely generated swells are more influenced by the currents than local waves. However, an additional qualitative analysis using high-resolution currents in a finer grid nested to the global coarser grid shows that typical resolution of global hydrodynamic reanalysis is not sufficient to resolve mesoscale eddies, and as a consequence, the simulation of mesoscale wave patterns can be compromised. The results are also discussed in terms of the accuracy of forcing fields.     

地震海啸在东海大陆架上传播过程的数值模拟研究

在东海潜在震源区冲绳海槽假定了五个震源点,根据Steven地震海啸地震参数经验值作为初始条件,分别考虑6.5、7.0、7.5、8.0、8.5、9.0级地震条件下的30个震例,采用数值模拟的方法,对海啸在东海传播过程进行情境分析,特别是对上海沿岸地区可能会遭受的海啸灾害做了较为精细的研究.结果发现:小于8.0级的震例对上海地区几乎不会造成影响;8.0级震例只有最北端震源点震例会对上海地区有明显影响;8.5级以及9.0级震级基本上均会对上海沿岸地区造成较大的影响.特别是冲绳海槽北段9.0级震例可能会对上海沿岸局部地区造成危害,最大波高可达3.9m.     

中国近海海平面变化特征分析

用经验正交函数分析方法,对中国近海14年多的测高海平面同化格网资料进行分析,给出了黄海、东海和南海各海平面变化主要主成分的空间变化和时间变化特征.用标准Morlet小波变换方法分析了各海区主成分时间变化序列的时频特征.分析结果表明,各主成分的空间分布特征与当地的海洋环流或洋流特征相对应.时频分析结果显示,中国近海海平面变化的显著周期主要为年周期信号.其次,黄海和东海还显示准2个月的非稳态信号,东海和南海具有较显著的半年周期信号,东海半年周期信号的能量不稳定.此外,在南海及台湾东部海域,首次发现存在较为显著的准540天周期信号,其动力学机制目前尚不明确.坎门和西沙验潮站资料的时频特征分析也验证了该信号的存在.最后本文给出了中国近海海平面在1993~2007年间的平均上升速率和其区域分布特征.     

西北太平洋海岛地区地震背景噪声特征及海洋学解释

地震背景噪声特性及噪声源的分布研究逐渐成为深化背景噪声层析成像的关键问题.海岛地区由于特殊的地理位置,其背景噪声具有相对独特的特征.地脉动（约0.003~1 Hz）是地震背景噪声中能量最强的分量,其激发与特性被认为与海浪运动和固体地球之间的相互作用有关,但海岛地区地脉动特征与海洋波浪场之间的关系尚未被充分研究.本文利用西北太平洋海岛地震台站的连续记录数据、波浪浮标的实测数据以及WAVEWATCH-Ⅲ海浪模式的数值模拟结果,通过地震学和海洋学的交叉,分析海岛地区地脉动信号的时频特性及其与海洋波浪场之间的相关性,从海洋学角度对地脉动信号的特征及激发进行探讨与解释.结果表明,海岛地区地脉动信号相对于内陆地区更强,并具有明显且稳定的季节性变化特征：高频地脉动信号（0.12~0.32 Hz）在夏秋季节（5月-10月）相对较弱,而在冬春季节（11月-次年4月）相对较强,与北半球海洋活动季节性变化相一致.此外,海岛地区地脉动主要受周边海域波浪场影响,与周边海域波浪能功率密度及实测和数值模拟所得的有效波高均具有很好的互相关性.该研究结果同时表明可进一步发展利用地脉动观测数据反演海表波浪场的可能,为海洋科学研究中海表波浪场连续观测数据的获取提供地震学上的支持.     

An integrated East China Sea–Changjiang Estuary model system with aim at resolving multi-scale regional–shelf–estuarine dynamics

A high-resolution numerical model system is essential to resolve multi-scale coastal ocean dynamics. So a multi-scale unstructured grid-based finite-volume coastal ocean model (FVCOM) system has been established for the East China Sea and Changjiang Estuary (ECS–CE) with the aim at resolving coastal ocean dynamics and understanding different physical processes. The modeling system consists of a three-domain-nested weather research and forecasting model, FVCOM model with the inclusion of FVCOM surface wave model in order to understand the wave–current interactions. The ECS–CE system contains three different scale models: a shelf-scale model for the East China Sea, an estuarine-scale model for the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent region, and a fine-scale model for the deep waterway regions. These three FVCOM-based models guarantee the conservation of mass and momentum transferring from outer domain to inner domain using the one-way common-grid nesting procedure. The model system has been validated using data from various observation data, including surface wind, tides, currents, salinity, and wave to accurately reveal the multi-scale dynamics of the East China Sea and Changjiang Estuary. This modeling system has been demonstrated via application to the seasonal variations of Changjiang diluted water and the bottom saltwater intrusion in the North Passage, and it shows strong potential for estuarine and coastal ocean dynamics and operational forecasting.     

Numerical study of seasonal circulation and variability over the inner shelf of the northern South China Sea

This study examines seasonal circulation, hydrography, and associated spatial variability over the inner shelf of the northern South China Sea (NSCS) using a nested-grid coastal ocean circulation model. The model external forcing consists of tides, atmospheric forcing, and open boundary conditions based on the global ocean circulation and hydrography reanalysis produced by the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean model. Five numerical experiments are conducted with different combinations of external forcing functions to examine main physical processes affecting the seasonal circulation in the study region. Model results demonstrate that the monthly mean circulation in the study region features the Guangdong Coastal Current (GCC) over coastal waters and the South China Sea Warm Current (SCSWC) in the offshore deep waters. The GCC produced by the model flows nearly southwestward in winter months and northwestward in summer months, which agrees with previous studies. The SCSWC flows roughly northeastward and is well defined in summer months. In winter months, by comparison, the SCSWC is superseded by the southwestward strong wind-driven currents. Analysis of model results in five different experiments demonstrates that the monthly mean circulation over coastal and inner shelf waters of the NSCS can be approximated by barotropic currents forced by the southwestward monsoon winds in winter months. In summer months, by comparison, the monthly mean circulation in the study region is affected significantly by baroclinic dynamics associated with freshwater runoff from the Pearl River and advection of warm and saline waters carried by the SCSWC over the NSCS.     

星载微波SSM/I对南中国海海面遥感的辐射特征及其风场反演

研究了星载微波DMSPSSM／I对南中国海海面遥感数据的定量辐射特征．与现有的经验性统计反演不同,本文用37GHz垂直和水平极化两个通道的辐射亮度温度,提出了物理意义明确,又易于计算和参数标定的海面风速反演公式．海面风速及演结果与现有的海面浮标风速观测记录作了很好的比较．这一方法应用于南中国海海面风速的反演,得到了南海海面风速在空间和时间尺度上的分布和变化．     

Multi-directional wave spectra from marine X-band radar

The signal measured by heave–pitch–roll directional wave buoys yields the first four coefficients of a Fourier series. Data adaptive methods must be employed to estimate a directional wave spectrum. Marine X-band radars (MRs) have the advantage over buoys that they can measure “model-free” two-dimensional (2D) wave spectra. This study presents the first comprehensive validation of MR-derived multi-directional wave characteristics. It is based on wave data from the 2010 Impact of Typhoons on the Ocean in the Pacific (ITOP) experiment in the Philippine Sea, namely MR measurements from R/V Roger Revelle, Extreme Air–Sea Interaction (EASI) buoy measurements, as well as WAVEWATCH-III (WW3) modeling results. Buoy measurements of mean direction and spreading as function of frequency, which do not require data adaptive methods, are used to validate the WW3 wave spectra. An advanced MR wave retrieval technique is introduced that addresses various shortcomings of existing methods. Spectral partitioning techniques, applied to MR and WW3 results, reveal that multimodal seas are frequently present. Both data sets are in excellent agreement, tracking the evolution of up to 4 simultaneous wave systems over extended time periods. This study demonstrates MR’s and WW3’s strength at measuring and predicting 2D wave spectra in swell-dominated seas.