Detailed observation of the wind-exerted surface flow by use of flow visualization methods

Detailed observations were performed of the wind-exerted surface flow, before and after the generation of wind waves. As flow visualization techniques, 6 classes of polystyrene beads of from 0.33 mm to 1.93 mm in diameter, with a specific gravity of 0.99, and also, hydrogen bubble lines, were used. Experiments were carried out at three ranges of the wind speed: 4.0, 6.2 and 8.6ms^–1 in the mean in the wind-wave tunnel section, and the observations were made at 2.85 m in fetch. In the case of 6.2 m s^–1, when the initial surface skin flow attains 0.22 cm in the scale thickness and 16 cm s^–1 in the surface velocity in about 3 second from the onset of the wind, regular waves of about 1.7 cm in wave length appear on the water surface. In one second after that, the downward thrust of the surface flow and the consequent forced convection commences, and the transition of the surface layer to a turbulent state occurs. Ordinary wind waves begin to develop from this state. In developed wind waves the viscous skin flow grows on the windward side of the crests, frequently producing macroscopic skin flows, and these skin flows converge to make a downward thrust at the lee side, and the viscous skin layer disappears there. The velocity of the downward flow has a maximum at the phase of about 30, and the value is of the order of 10 cm s^–1 at 4-mm depth after the orbital velocity of the sinusoidal wave is subtracted. As the process through which the wind stress acts on the water surface, it is considered that the following particular one may be real: the skin friction concentrated at the windward side of the crest produces skin flows, which thrust into the inner region to make the forced convection, carrying the acquired momentum. The viscous shearing stress just before the generation of the surface undurations was about 1/4 of the total shearing stress under the existence of wind waves. It is considered that the increase of the wind stress by wind waves is caused by this mechanism.     

海-气二氧化碳交换速度影响因子的定量估计

影响海-气二氧化碳（CO₂）交换速度的多种因子已经讨论了很多年,但对各种因子的贡献却很少进行定量估计。为了更好地了解海-气交换的机制,我们讨论了不同因子对海-气交换速度的影响,并对描述海-气交换现象的各种参数化模型进行了分类和比较。然后,基于GAS EX-98和ASGAMAGE数据,我们评估了风速模型,并使用分段平均法定量地讨论了一些因子的影响,包括泡沫,波浪,风等,并考虑了它们之间的相互作用。我们发现,海-气CO₂交换速度不仅仅是风速的函数,也会受到泡沫,波浪参数和其他因素的影响。我们使用了逐步回归法和线性回归法。当考虑风速,泡沫媒介和显著波高时,均方根误差由34.53 cm·h^-1减少到16.96 cm·h^-1。定量地讨论各种因子,对于将来评估大空间尺度和长时间序列的海-气CO₂通量和全球变化是有用的。     

Dispersal of droplets over breaking wind waves under the direct action of wind

This paper describes the dispersal of droplets over breaking wind waves under the direct action of wind, based on a comparison between the actual distribution of droplet velocity and the wind field measured in a wind-wave tank (reference wind speed 16 m sec^–1). The velocity distribution of droplets with a diameterd>0.81 mm over breaking wind waves was measured by Koga (1981). In this paper the wind field over breaking wind waves is measured by a flow visualization technique using styrofoam flakes as a tracer. The comparison allows a clear interpretation of droplet movement over the wave profile, and shows that the horizontal movement of the droplets ofd>0.81 mm is approximately determined by acceleration by the wind while their vertical movement is determined by acceleration due to gravity. These observations offer some support for the dispersion model proposed by Koga and Toba (1981).     

Statistical properties of microwave backscattering from laboratory wind-wave surfaces

The microwave backscattering from wind-wave surfaces is observed in a windwave tunnel under various conditions of the wind and wind waves, and its statistical features are investigated. The dependence of the backscattered power on the wind speed and the incident angle shows similar features to those predicted by models proposed previously. However, the dependence of the backscattered power on the incident angles also corresponds to the asymmetrical feature of the wind-wave surfaces with respect to the wind direction. The spectral analyses of time series of the backscattered intensity show that the propagating speed of fine structures of the wind-wave surface contributing to the backscattering at large incident angles does not coincide with the phase speed of the freely propagating Braggwaves. Atupwind incidence, the surface structures of wind waves contributing to the backscattering propagates with the dominant waves at their phase speed. This result is inconsistent with the two-scale model in which the Bragg waves are simply superimposed on longer waves, but is consistent with the results of optical observation by Ebuchiet al. (1987). At downwind incidence, the propagating speed is slower than the phase speed of the dominant waves.     

Carbon dioxide partial pressures in North Pacific surface waters — Time variations

Observations were made of time variations of the carbon dioxide partial pressures (Pco₂) of the atmosphere and surface sea waters in the Pacific subarctic region. Data were obtained on a cruise of the USC & GSSSURVEYOR in October, 1968 and on the TRANSPAC expedition of the CNAVENDEAVOUR in March–April, 1969. A rise in surface water Pco₂ of 18×10^–6 atm occurred in a period of 30–45 days in March–April due principally to spring warming of surface waters. An average increase of 60×10^–6 atm occurred between October, 1968 and March, 1969 as a result mainly of cessation of summer phytoplankton production and the onset of winter-storm-driven vertical mixing. Because the air-sea Pco₂ gradient not only changed appreciably in magnitude but also changed sign, there are important implications for calculations of air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide on the ocean wide scale.Data contained in this paper comprise part of a dissertation to be submitted by Louis I. Gordon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph. D. at Oregon State University.     

The relationship between the amplitudinal characteristics of the high-frequency spectral components of wind-generated waves and the wind velocity over the sea

The relationship between the RMS amplitudes of the wind wave spectral components and the wind speed has been studied at ten frequencies in the band of 0.65–23 Hz. To measure the parameters of the high-frequenci waves, a resistance elevation wave gauge was operated, which was deployed in the Black See on an oceanographic platform near Katsively. The correlation between the wave amplitudes and the wind velocity at high frequencies of 5–23 Hz, corresponding to gravitation-capillary ripples, was found to reach a value of 0.8. At lower frequencies of 0.65–4.3 Hz, corresponding to short gravity waves, it dropped to 0.5–0.7. The response of spectral components to the wind speed variations in the gravity-capillary range is higher than in the range of short gravity waves. The results obtained differ from Phillips' idea about a saturated range for the frequency form of the spectrum of high-frequency gravity waves, since a linear dependence of the spectral amplitudes on the wind speed is established at a wind of force 1–8.Translated by Mikhail M. Trufanov.     

基于HY-2 卫星观测分析南海风浪关系

海面有效波高(H1/3)是表征海浪的重要参数,随着卫星遥感技术的发展,雷达高度计已成为获取海面有效波高的重要手段,但也只能对卫星星下点轨迹处进行有效观测,远无法满足大范围应用的需求.本研究结合2013年10月HY-2雷达高度计观测的海面有效波高和微波散射计观测的海面风场资料,分别对高、低风速下风浪数据进行拟合,建立了适用于0~40 m/s风速范围内的南海海域风浪关系模型,经模型比对和结果验证,结果表明,基于HY-2卫星数据分析建立的南海海域风浪关系模型是可信的,特别是低风速的风浪模型与实测数据建立的风浪模型具有很好的一致性;根据建立的风浪关系模型,从卫星散射计大面观测的海面风场出发,能推算出风浪条件下海面有效波高的大面信息,数据覆盖远高于卫星高度计的星下点观测,能为分析和预报海浪、风暴潮灾害提供大范围的海面有效波高信息.     

Comparison of Ocean Surface Wind Stress Computed with Different Parameterization Functions of the Drag Coefficient

Depending on the choice of reference wind speed, the quantitative and qualitative properties of the drag coefficient may vary. On the ocean surface, surface waves are the physical roughness at the air-sea interface, and they play an important role in controlling the air-sea exchange processes. The degree of dynamic influence of surface waves scales with wavelength. Drag coefficient computed with the reference wind speed at an elevation proportional to the wavelength (for example, U _λ/2) is fundamentally different from the drag coefficient computed with the wind speed at fixed 10 m elevation (U ₁₀). A comparison has been carried out to quantify the difference in wind stress computation using several different parameterization functions of the drag coefficient. The result indicates that the wind stress computed from U ₁₀ input using a drag coefficient referenced to U _λ/2 is more accurate than that computed with drag coefficient functions referenced to U ₁₀.     

Wind gust spectrum over waves: Effect of wave age

The effect of wave age on the wind gust spectrum over wind waves is considered by using the Ochi and Shin [1988. Wind turbulent spectra for design considerations of offshore structures. Proceedings of 20th Offshore Technology Conference, Paper No. 5736, Houston, Texas. pp. 461–467] spectrum together with the wave age dependant Volkov [2001. The dependence on wave age. In: Jones, I.S.F., Toba, Y. (Eds.), Wind Stress Over the Ocean. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 206–217] sea surface roughness formula. The wave age independent Charnock [1955. Wind stress on a water surface. Quarterly Journal of Royal Meteorological Society 81, 639–640] sea surface roughness is used as a reference. An example of results demonstrates a clear effect of wave age on the wind gust spectrum.     

Continental shelf waves off the fukushima coast Part I: Observations

Current records obtained in the inshore region along the Fukushima coast are analyzed. The existence of periodical current fluctuations whose period is about 100 hours and whose amplitude is as large as 15–25cm s^–1 is recognized. Auto-spectral analyses are made also for sea level, atmospheric pressure and wind records. Each spectrum has significant peaks at the similar period to the current spectrum. The wind spectrum has a broad peak compared with the current. The periodical current fluctuations propagate southward with speed of 3–5 km h^–1. These propagation speeds seem to correspond to those of the second-and third-mode shelf waves.     

Effect of air-sea temperature difference on the momentum exchange between air and sea for fetch-limited cases

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Local balance in the air-sea boundary processes

A combination of the three-second power law, presented in part I for wind waves of simple spectrum, and the similarity of the spectral form of wind waves, leads to a new concept on the energy spectrum of wind waves. It is well substantiated by data from a wind-wave tunnel experiment.In the gravity wave range, the gross form of the high frequency side of the spectrum is proportional tog u _* ^–4, whereg represents the acceleration of gravity,u _* the friction velocity, the angular frequency, and the factor of proportionality is 2.0×l0^–2. The wind waves grow in such a way that the spectrum slides up, keeping its similar form, along the line of the gross form, on the logarithmic diagram of the spectral density,, versus. Also, the terminal value of, at the peak frequency of the fully developed sea, is along a line of the gradient ofg ^{2 –5}.The fine structure of the spectrum from the wind-wave tunnel experiment shows a characteristic form oscillating around the ^–4-line. The excess of the energy density concentrates around the peak frequency and the second- and the third-order harmonics, and the deficit occurs in the middle of these frequencies. This form of the fine structure is always similar in the gravity wave range, in purely controlled conditions such as in a wind-wave tunnel. Moving averages of these spectra tend very close to the form proportional to ^–5.As the wave number becomes large, the effect of surface tension is incorporated, and the ^–4-line in the gravity wave range gradually continues to a ^–8/3-line in the capillary wave range, in accordance with the wind-wave tunnel data. Likewise, the ^–5-line gradually continues to a ^–7/3-line.Also, through a discussion on these results, is suggested the existence of a kind of general similarity in the structure of wind wave field.     

A new scheme of nonlinear energy transfer among wind waves: RIAM method-algorithm and performance-

A numerical scheme for calculating the nonlinear energy transfer among wind waves (RIAM method) was developed on the basis of the rigorous method of Masuda. Then the performance of the RIAM method was examined by applying it to various forms of wind-wave spectra and different situations of wind-wave evolution, in comparison mainly with the WAM method. The computational time of the Masuda method was reduced by a factor of 300 by the RIAM method, which is still 2000 times slower than the WAM method simply because the RIAM method processes thousands of resonance configurations whereas the WAM method does only one. The RIAM method proves to give accurate results even for spectra of narrow band widths or bimodal spectra, whereas the WAM method often calculates an unrealistic magnitude and pattern of nonlinear energy transfer functions. In the duration-limited evolution of wind-wave spectra, the RIAM method yields a unimodal directional distribution on the low-frequency side of the spectral peak, whereas the WAM method produces a spurious bimodal one there. At higher frequencies, however, both methods give a bimodal directional distribution with two oblique maxima. The RIAM method enhances the growth of the total energy and peak period of wind waves in comparison with the WAM method. Nevertheless, Toba's constant of his 3/2-power law approaches almost the same standard value of 0.06 in both methods. For spectra of a narrow band width or for those perturbed by a small hump or depression, the RIAM method tends to recover the monotonic smoother form of spectrum whereas the WAM method often yields unrealistic humps or depressions.     

A Practical bi-parameter formula of gas transfer velocity depending on wave states

The parameter that describes the kinetics of the air-sea exchange of a poorly soluble gas is the gas transfer velocity which is often parameterized as a function of wind speed. Both theoretical and experimental studies suggest that wind waves and their breaking can significantly enhance the gas exchange at the air-sea interface. A relationship between gas transfer velocity and a turbulent Reynolds number related to wind waves and their breaking is proposed based on field observations and drag coefficient formulation. The proposed relationship can be further simplified as a function of the product of wind speed and significant wave height. It is shown that this bi-parameter formula agrees quantitatively with the wind speed based parameterizations under certain wave age conditions. The new gas transfer velocity attains its maximum under fully developed wave fields, in which it is roughly dependent on the square of wind speed. This study provides a practical approach to quantitatively determine the effect of waves on the estimation of air-sea gas fluxes with routine observational data.     

Effect of air-sea temperature difference on ocean microwave brightness temperature estimated from AMSR,SeaWinds, and buoys

The effect of air-sea temperature differences on the ocean microwave brightness temperature (Tb) was investigated using the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) aboard the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II (ADEOS-II) during a period of seven months. AMSR Tb in the global ocean was combined with wind data supplied by the scatterometer SeaWinds aboard ADEOS-II and air temperature given by a weather forecast model. Tb was negatively correlated with air-sea temperature difference, its ratio lying around −0.4K/°C at the SeaWinds wind speed of 14 m/s for the 6 GHz vertical polarization. Tb of AMSR-E aboard AQUA during 3.5 years was combined with ocean buoy data, and similar results were obtained.     

Internal flow structure of short wind waves

The minimum value of wind stress under which the flow velocity in short wind waves exceeds the phase speed is estimated by calculating the laminar boundary layer flow induced by the surface tangential stress with a dominant peak at the wave crest as observed in previous experiments. The minimum value of the wind stress is found to depend strongly on, the ratio of the flow velocity just below the boundary layer and the phase speed, but weakly onL, the wavelength. For wind waves previously studied (=0.5,L=10 cm), the excess flow appears when the air friction velocityu _* is larger than about 30 cm sec^–1. The present results confirm that the excess flow found in my previous experiments is associated with the local growth of a laminar boundary layer flow near the wave crest.     

Measurement of skin friction distribution along the surface of wind waves

Measurements of local values of the skin friction have been made at many points along the surface of representative wind wave crests in a wind wave tunnel, by use of the distortion of hydrogen-bubble lines. The results obtained at 2.85-m fetch under 6.2 m s^–1 mean wind speed show that the intensity of the skin friction varies greatly along the surface of wind waves as a function of the phase angle. It increases rather continuously at the windward surface toward the crest, attains a value of about 12 dyn cm^–2 near the crest, decreases suddenly just past the crest, and the value at the lee surface is substantially zero Values of the skin friction thus determined along the representative wind waves give an average value of 3.6 dyn cm^–2, rather exceeding the overall stress value of 3.0 dyn cm^–2, which has been estimated from the wind profile. The results are interpreted as that the skin friction bears most of the shearing stress of wind, and that it exerts most intensively around the representative wave crests at their windward faces.     

A note on nearshore wave features: Implications for wave generation

This paper analyses 10 years of wave data from the Mediterranean Spanish (Catalan) coast considering the mean wave climate and storm events from the standpoint of wind-wave momentum transfer and wave prediction. The data, registered by a buoy at about 12 km from the coastline, revealed two main groups of wave storms, with NW and E directions. NW storms correspond to a fetch-limited situation since the intense wind blows from land. Low-pressure centres located over the Mediterranean Sea produce easterly storms. Near the coast the eastern winds from the sea are replaced by NW winds coming from meteorological patterns over northern Spain and south-western France. Wave storms are classified and studied to obtain their main features (including spectral width, wave length, wave age and bimodality) and discussed in terms of wind-wave momentum transfer for operational wave predictions. Observations show a complex coastal wave climate. Fetch-limited storms presented smaller spectral widths while varying wind situations presented larger widths due to the presence of bimodal spectra. These wave features are highly relevant for wind–ocean momentum transfer and, thus, for current and wave predictions. The spectral width proved to be a good indicator of sea complexity and is thus applicable for improved wind drag estimations. A new drag coefficient formulation is proposed, based on existing wind dependent drag expressions, but including also spectral wave properties (a spectral width parameter) that highlights the characteristics of wind-wave generation under pre-existing swell. Such a formulation, once properly validated with field observations, is expected to improve wind-wave predictions.     

Turbulent structure in water under laboratory wind waves

The structure of the turbulent boundary layer underneath laboratory wind waves was studied by using a combination of a high-sensitivity thermometer array with a two-component sonic flowmeter. The temperature fluctuations are used to detect movements of water parcels, with temperature as a passive quantity. The turbulence energy was dominant in the frequency range (0.01 0.1 Hz), which was much smaller than the wind-wave frequency (2 5 Hz), and in which the turbulence was anisotropic. There was a frequency range (0.2 2 Hz for velocity, 0.2 5 Hz for temperature fluctuation) where the turbulence was isotropic and had a –5/3 slope in the energy spectrum. These points are the same as those in previous works. However, by analyses of the time series by using a variable-interval time-averaging technique (VITA), it has been found that conspicuous events in this main turbulence energy band are the downward bursting from the vicinity of the water surface. Thus the structure of the water layer underneath the wind waves has characters which are similar to the familiar turbulent boundary layer over a rough solid wall, as already conceived. It has been found that, at the same time, the turbulence energy can be related to quantities of the wind waves (the root mean squared water level fluctuation and the wave peak frequency), for different wind and wave conditions. That is, the turbulence underneath the wind waves develops under a close coupling with the wind waves.