Hydrodynamic and sedimentary responses to two contrasting winter storms on the inner shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Results are presented from the deployment of three bottom-mounted instrumentation systems in water depths of 6–9 m on the sandy inner shelf of Louisiana, USA. The 61-day deployment included nine cold front passages that were associated with large increases in wind speed. Two of the most energetic cold front passages were characterized by distinct meteorological, hydrodynamic, bottom boundary layer, and sedimentary responses and may potentially be treated as end-member types on a continuum of regional cold front passages. Arctic surges (AC storms) have a very weak pre-frontal phase followed by a fairly powerful post-frontal phase, when northeasterly winds dominate. Migrating cyclones (MC storms) are dominated by a strong low-pressure cell and have fairly strong southerly winds prior to the frontal passage, followed by strong northwesterly winds.

On the basis of measurements taken during this study, AC storms are expected to have a lower average significant wave height than MC storms and are dominated by short-period southerly waves subsequent to the frontal passage. Currents are weak and northerly during the pre-frontal phase, but become very strong and southwesterly following the passage. Sediment transport rate during AS storms was not as high as during MC storms, and the mean and overall direction tended to be southwesterly to westerly, with low-frequency flows producing easterly transport, and wind-wave flows producing southeasterly transport.

MC storms had the most energetic waves of any storm type, with peaks in significant wave height occurring during both the pre- and post-frontal phases. The wave field during MC storms tended to be more complex than during AS storms, with an energetic, northerly swell band gradually giving way to a southerly sea band as the post-frontal phase progressed. Currents during MC storms were moderate and northerly during the pre-frontal phase, but became much stronger and southeasterly during the post-frontal phase. Shear velocity was high during both the pre- and post-frontal phases of the storm, although sediment transport was highest following the frontal passage. Mean and overall sediment transport was directed southeasterly during MC storms, with low-frequency and wind-wave flows producing northerly transport. In summary, the data sets presented here are unique and offer insight into the morphosedimentary dynamics of mid-latitude, micro-tidal coasts during extratropical storms.     

An improved ‘Battjes’ method for predicting the probability of extreme waves

The Battjes method for predicting the 50 or 100-year design wave was developed to allow for the possibility that the highest wave in a 50 or 100 year period may occur during the second highest storm or even in lower storms. It uses the probability distribution of individual waves. It is first shown that a slightly different logical approach removes some of the problems encountered with the use of the method. It is then shown that it actually uses a different definition of return period to that used by the classic method because if two or more waves in a severe storm exceed H₅₀, then these are counted as separate events. A formula is developed which considers each storm as one event, but still takes account of the possibility of the highest wave in 50 years not coming from the most severe storm. Computation using this formula shows that it reduces H₅₀ by about 3% relative to the Battjes method.     

非结构网格模型在闽东沿海台风浪模拟中的应用

基于加密的非结构三角网格,以Holland模型风场叠加美国国家环境预报中心（NCEP）海面风场构造的合成风场驱动第三代浅水波浪数值模型（SWAN）对2017年影响闽东海域的“纳沙”和“泰利”台风过程进行数值模拟,并运用浮标站的实测数据对模拟结果进行验证.结果表明,模型计算的风速、有效波高与实测值符合较好,合成风场能较好地模拟台风期间的风速变化过程,SWAN模式能够合理地再现闽东沿海台风浪的时空分布特征.由模拟结果可见：台风“纳沙”中心越过台湾岛进入台湾海峡北部海面,受海峡地形的约束,其波浪场呈NE—SW向椭圆状分布,北部海域的浪高大于南部,闽东沿海遍布大范围的巨浪到狂浪;超强台风“泰利”未登陆闽东,当其台风中心与大陆的距离最近时,海面波浪场分布与台风风场结构一致,台风中心附近海域为14 m以上的怒涛区,巨浪遍布于闽东沿海.研究结果可为闽东沿海台风浪灾害预警和应急管理提供技术支撑和参考依据.     

Extreme wave parameters under North Atlantic extratropical cyclones

A characterization of extreme wave parameters during extratropical cyclones in the Northern hemisphere is made from WAM wave model hindcasts. In February 2007 two extratropical storms were observed in the North Atlantic and the wave fields associated with them are modeled in this paper. Wave buoy and satellite altimetry data were used to validate the WAM hindcast results. The distribution of the Benjamin–Feir index (BFI), kurtosis and the ratio of maximum wave height to significant wave height (abnormality index) around the eye of the two extratropical cyclones is studied. It is found that under these conditions the BFI and kurtosis are significantly larger mainly in the fourth quadrant and also when the wind direction is aligned with the wave propagation direction. In these regions the probability of occurrence of abnormal waves is higher.     

Characteristics of abnormal waves in North Sea storm sea states

A data set of storm wave records from the North Sea is analysed. Using current definitions of abnormal waves, eight of the largest wind waves are defined as abnormal waves. Twenty-four of the largest waves in time series, with a height larger than 10 m and with big vertical asymmetry are chosen for further analysis. Their individual characteristics are investigated and related to the global sea state characteristics. A comparison between measured data, second-order theory predictions and offshore basin data is made. The results for the chosen waves do not coincide with predictions of second-order theory. Considering that wind wave is second- and third-order non-linear, a new relationship between skewness and kurtosis is proposed for the sea states in which extremely asymmetric large waves have occurred. Another relationship between kurtosis and abnormality index of maximum waves is proposed too.     

Anisotropy of wind and wave regimes in the Baltic proper

The directional distribution of moderate and strong winds in the Baltic Sea region is shown to be strongly anisotropic. The dominating wind direction is south-west and a secondary peak corresponds to north winds. North-west storms are relatively infrequent and north-east storms are extremely rare. Angular distribution of extreme wind speed also has a two-peaked shape with maxima corresponding to south-west and north winds, and a deep minimum for easterly winds. The primary properties of the anisotropy such as prevailing winds, frequency of their occurrence, directional distribution of mean and maximum wind speeds coincide on both sides of the Baltic proper. The specific wind regime penetrates neither into the mainland nor into the Gulf of Finland or the Gulf of Riga.Properties of the saturated wave field in the neighbourhood of proposed sites of the Saaremaa (Ösel) deep harbour are analysed on the basis of the wave model WAM forced by steady winds. The directional distribution of wave heights in typical and extreme storms is highly anisotropic. Remarkable wave height anomalies may occur in the neighbourhood of the harbour sites.     

斯里兰卡南部海域次重力波特征研究

次重力波在近岸水动力运动过程中起到重要作用,深入地了解次重力波对预防其引发的近岸灾害有着重要意义。结合波浪现场观测方法和数值模拟方法研究了斯里兰卡南部海域次重力波特征。短波和自由次重力波通过海浪谱模型WAVEWATCH III模拟,而约束次重力波通过二阶非线性理论模拟,数值模拟结果与现场观测结果对比吻合良好。研究结果表明,斯里兰卡南部海域大部分时间以自由次重力波为主;在强涌浪海况下（短波波高大于2.5 m,周期大于15 s）约束次重力波逐渐逼近自由次重力波甚至占主导地位;斯里兰卡大陆架极其狭窄,对涌浪的能量损耗作用极为有限,使得近岸面对强劲的涌浪及其伴生的次重力波的侵袭,增大了次重力波引发近岸水动力灾害的风险。     

Calculation of Interannual Variations of Sea Level in the Subtropical North Pacific

The interannual variations of sea level at Chichi-jima and five other islands in the subtropical North Pacific are calculated for 1961–95 with a model of Rossby waves excited by wind. The Rossby-wave forcing is significant east of 140°E. Strong forcing of upwelling (downwelling) Rossby wave occurs during El Niño (La Niña) and warm (cold) water anomaly in the eastern equatorial Pacific. The first and second baroclinic modes of Rossby wave are more strongly generated than the barotropic mode in the study area. A higher vertical mode of Rossby wave propagates more slowly and is more decayed by eddy dissipation. The best coefficient of vertical eddy dissipation is determined by comparing the calculated sea level with observation. The variation in sea level at Chichi-jima is successfully calculated, in particular for the long-term change of the mean level between before and after 1986 with a rise in 1986 as well as the variations with periods of two to four years after 1980. It is concluded that variations of sea level at Chichi-jima are produced by wind-forced Rossby waves, the first baroclinic wave primarily and the barotropic wave secondly. The calculation for other islands is less successful. Degree of the success in calculation almost corresponds to a spatial difference in quantity of wind data, and seems to be determined by quality of wind data.     

基于LPB1-2型声学测波仪资料的近岸浪特征分析

为研究近岸浪的形态特征,利用LPB1-2型声学测波仪在某海域所测得的海浪数据对近岸浪特征要素进行统计分析,利用最大"熵"原理推导出了波高的最大"熵"分布,研究了状态参量对波高分布和波高"熵"的影响。研究表明,该海域的波主要以波高0.3~0.7 m,周期2.5~5.5 s的波为主,表示离散程度的特征值平均差为0.267,日极差值主要在0.1~0.4 m区间内,最大值为1.0 m,分布较为集中,波高分布近似为正态分布。     

Downward transfer of momentum by wind-driven waves

A model for the downward transfer of wind momentum is derived for growing waves. It is shown that waves, which grow due to an uneven pressure distribution on the water surface or a wave-coherent surface shear stress have horizontal velocities out of phase with the surface elevation. Further, if the waves grow in the x-direction, while the motion is perhaps time-periodic at any fixed point, the Reynolds stresses associated with the organized motion are positive. This is in agreement with several field and laboratory measurements which were previously unexplained, and the new theory successfully links measured wave growth rates and measured sub-surface Reynolds stresses. Wave coherent air pressure (and/or surface shear stress) is shown to change the speed of wave propagation as well as inducing growth or decay. From air pressure variations that are in phase with the surface elevation, the influence on the waves is simply a phase speed increase. For pressure variations out of phase with surface elevation, both growth (or decay) and phase speed changes occur. The theory is initially developed for long waves, after which the velocity potential and dispersion relation for linear waves in arbitrary depth are given. The model enables a sounder model for the transfer to storm surges or currents of momentum from breaking waves in that it does not rely entirely on ad-hoc turbulent diffusion. Future models of atmosphere-ocean exchanges should also acknowledge that momentum is transferred partly by the organized wave motion, while other species, like heat and gasses, may rely totally on turbulent diffusion. The fact that growing wind waves do in fact not generally obey the dispersion relation for free waves may need to be considered in future wind wave development models.     

强台风“卡努”过境期间的风和海浪特征分析

南海北部海域夏季台风活动频繁,对海上生产活动和人民生命财产安全造成极大威胁,由于台风路径的不确定性,其中心附近区域的风浪观测资料十分稀少。中国气象局(China Meteorological Administration, CMA)热带气旋最佳路径数据显示2017年10月强台风“卡努”中心经过南海北部陆坡的SF301浮标,该浮标完整记录了台风过境的风浪数据。利用浮标观测资料,分析了强台风“卡努”过境期间的风和海浪特征。观测结果表明,“卡努”经过浮标时,中心气压为959.9 hPa,风速随时间呈双峰分布,前、后眼壁区的10 min平均风速分别为30.2 m/s和24.9 m/s, 1 s极大风速分别为44.2和38.6 m/s。海浪以风浪为主,观测有效波高和最大波高最大值分别为10.8和14.3 m,滞后最大风速30 min,波向和风向变化趋势一致。台风过境期间,有效波高与海面10 m风速接近线性关系,非台风期间二者呈二次多项式关系。海浪无因次波高和周期呈幂指数关系,无论是台风期间还是非台风期间二者关系十分接近Toba提出的3/2指数律。     

Influence of the type of sea waves on the backscattered radar cross section at medium incidence angles

We consider the influence of the sea surface state on the backscattered radar cross section and the accuracy of the wind speed retrieval from the scatterometer data. We used a joint set of radars and buoys to determine the type of sea waves. Three types of sea waves were distinguished: developing wind waves, fully developed wind waves, and mixed sea. It is shown that the retrieval error of the near surface wind speed using a one-parameter algorithm is minimal in the case of fully developed wind waves. We compared these data with the results of radio-altimeter data analysis and showed that in both cases underestimation of the retrieval wind speed exists for developing wind waves and overestimation occurs for mixed sea. A variety of swell parameters (length of the dominating wave, swell height, swell age) significantly influence the backscattered radar cross section, leading to a growth in the mean square error of the retrieved wind speed during vertical sounding (radio-altimeter data), and only slightly influence the mean square error of the scatterometer data (medium incidence angles). It is necessary to include the information about the parameters of sea waves in the algorithms and take into account the regional wave properties to increase the accuracy of wind speed retrieval.     

Atmospheric frontal gravity waves observed in satellite SAR images of the Bohai Sea and Huanghai Sea

In the satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of the Bohai Sea and Huanghai Sea, the authors observe sea surface imprints of wave-like patterns with an average wavelength of 3.8 km. Comparing SAR observations with sea surface wind fields and surface weather maps, the authors find that the occurrence of the wave-like phenomena is associated with the passing of atmospheric front. The authors define the waves as atmospheric frontal gravity waves. The dynamical parameters of the wave packets are derived from statistics of 9 satellite SAR images obtained from 2002 to 2008. A two-dimensional linear physical wave model is used to analyze the generation mechanism of the waves. The atmospheric frontal wave induced wind variation across the frontal wave packet is compared with wind retrievals from the SAR images. The CMOD-5 (C-band scatterometer ocean geophysical model function) is used for SAR wind retrievals VV (transmitted vertical and received vertical) for ENVISAT and HH (transmitted horizontally and received horizontally) for RADARSAT-1. A reasonable agreement between the analytical solution and the SAR observation is reached. This new SAR frontal wave observation adds to the school of SAR observations of sea surface imprints of AGWs including island lee waves, coastal lee waves, and upstream Atmospheric Gravity Waves (AGW).     

Remote sensing of breaking wave phase speeds with application to non-linear depth inversions

A number of existing models for surface wave phase speeds (linear and non-linear, breaking and non-breaking waves) are reviewed and tested against phase speed data from a large-scale laboratory experiment. The results of these tests are utilized in the context of assessing the potential improvement gained by incorporating wave non-linearity in phase speed based depth inversions. The analysis is focused on the surf zone, where depth inversion accuracies are known to degrade significantly. The collected data includes very high-resolution remote sensing video and surface elevation records from fixed, in-situ wave gages. Wave phase speeds are extracted from the remote sensing data using a feature tracking technique, and local wave amplitudes are determined from the wave gage records and used for comparisons to non-linear phase speed models and for non-linear depth inversions. A series of five different regular wave conditions with a range of non-linearity and dispersion characteristics are analyzed and results show that a composite dispersion relation, which includes both non-linearity and dispersion effects, best matches the observed phase speeds across the domain and hence, improves surf zone depth estimation via depth inversions. Incorporating non-linearity into the phase speed model reduces errors to O(10%), which is a level previously found for depth inversions with small amplitude waves in intermediate water depths using linear dispersion. Considering the controlled conditions and extensive ground truth, this appears to be a practical limit for phase speed-based depth inversions. Finally, a phase speed sensitivity analysis is performed that indicates that typical nearshore sand bars should be resolvable using phase speed depth inversions. However, increasing wave steepness degrades the sensitivity of this inversion method.     

Probability Distribution of Surface Wave Slope Derived Using Sun Glitter Images from Geostationary Meteorological Satellite and Surface Vector Winds from Scatterometers

The probability distribution of the sea surface slope has been estimated using sun glitter images derived from the visible wavelength radiometer on the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS) and surface vector winds observed by spaceborne scatterometers. The brightness of the visible images is converted to the probability of wave surfaces which reflect the sunlight toward GMS in grids of 0.25° × 0.25° (latitude × longitude). The slope and azimuth angle required for the reflection of the sun's rays toward GMS are calculated for each grid from the geometry of GMS observation and location of the sun. The GMS images are then collocated with surface wind data observed by three scatterometers. Using the collocated data set of about 30 million points obtained in a period of 4 years from 1995 to 1999, the probability distribution function of the surface slope is estimated as a function of wind speed and azimuth angle relative to the wind direction. The results are compared with those of Cox and Munk (1954a). The surface slope estimated by the present method shows a narrower distribution and much less directivity relative to the wind direction than that reported by Cox and Munk. It is expected that their data were obtained under conditions of growing wind waves. In general, wind waves are not always developing, and the slope distribution might differ from the results of Cox and Munk. Most of our data are obtained in the subtropical seas under clear-sky conditions. This difference in the conditions may be the reason for the difference of slope distribution. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

浙江东矶列岛海域实测波要素及典型台风浪特征分析

利用东矶列岛海域一年实测波浪资料,统计分析波要素特征,以台风“利奇马”为例,分析台风浪演变过程。结果表明：研究海域年平均有效波高0.88 m,年平均周期4.3 s,年最大波高8.67 m出现在夏季台风“利奇马”影响时。研究海域以轻浪为主,其次是小浪和中浪;常浪向为ESE,次常浪向为E和SE;强浪向为SSE,次强浪向为SE。波浪平均持续时间和波高之间符合指数衰减关系。台风“利奇马”影响期间,最大谱峰56.20 m²/Hz,台风浪谱型以双峰谱为主,台风浪类型经历了涌浪—混合浪—风浪—混合浪—涌浪这一演变过程。     

两类典型台风路径影响下的黄、渤海海浪场特征研究

台风引起的海浪灾害对我国黄、渤海沿岸影响巨大,严重威胁相关区域人民群众生命财产安全.本文主要利用ERA5(the fifth generation European Center for Medium-Range Weather forecasts atmospheric reanalysis of the globa...     

北极海域海面风场和海浪遥感观测能力分析

卫星遥感是开展北极海域海面风场和海浪分布特征与变化规律研究的重要手段。本文基于在轨多源卫星遥感数据,从遥感观测空间覆盖、时间覆盖和多源卫星遥感数据融合等方面开展北极海域海面风场与海浪遥感观测能力分析,研究主要结果为:基于ASCAT和HY-2A散射计可实现北极海域海面风场遥感观测,通过多星联合观测可获取北极海域时空分辨率优于12 h和0.1°的海面风场遥感融合数据;基于HY-2A、CryoSat-2、SARAL和Sentinel-3高度计可实现北极海域海浪遥感观测,同样通过多星联合观测可获取北极海域时空分辨率优于1 d和0.25°的海浪有效波高遥感融合数据;基于2016年北极海面风场和海浪遥感融合数据,分析得出北极海域海面风场和海浪在2月处于极大值,然后逐渐减小,7月最小,随后开始逐渐增大。本研究表明,基于多源散射计和高度计遥感观测可实现北极海域海面风场和海浪的高时空分辨率遥感业务化监测。     

Effects of wave age and air stability on whitecap coverage

The paper considers the effects of wave age and air stability on the whitecap coverage at sea. This is made by using the logarithmic mean wind velocity profile including a stability function as well as adopting a recent wave age dependent sea surface roughness formula. The results are valid for wind waves in local equilibrium with the steady wind. Examples of results demonstrate clear effects of wave age and air stability on the whitecap coverage. Comparisons are also made with field measurements by Sugihara et al. [Sugihara, Y., et al., 2007. Variation of whitecap coverage with wave-field conditions. J. Mar. Syst. 66, 47–60], representing unstable air stability conditions. Although the data basis is limited, the wave age independent Charnock sea roughness based predictions capture the main features of the observed whitecap coverage, suggesting a stronger dependence on air stability than on wave age in the data.     

Field measurements of longshore sediment transport during storms

This paper presents an analysis of longshore sediment transport (LST) rates based on an accumulation of data obtained during five storms. Direct measurements of velocities and suspended sediment concentration were conducted at a minimum of nine positions across a barred profile in waves up to H_m0=3.5 m to provide a measure of the cross-shore distribution and total suspended-load sediment transport rates. The study was conducted at the US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station's Field Research Facility, located in Duck, NC. Measurements were made using the Sensor Insertion System (SIS) which provides an economical means to collect the required information. The largest LST rate computed from the measurements was 1780 m³ h⁻¹. Although the cross-shore distribution of the LST varied, it most often had two peaks associated with wave shoaling and breaking at the bar and near the beach. Comparisons of measurement results with predictions using the ‘CERC' LST formula show the predicted rates were sometimes higher and other times lower; suggesting that additional terms may be required for short term predictions during storms. Comparisons to a ‘Bagnold' type formulation, which included a velocity term that could account for wind and other effects on LST, show better agreement for at least one of the storms. These results are intended to help fill a void of information documenting the cross-shore distribution and LST rates, particularly during storms.