Duality of turbulence and wave in wind waves

The three-seconds power law for wind waves of simple spectra, already derived byToba (1972 and 1973), may also be derived by introducing surface-wave properties into the form of the rate of energy dissipation in the theory of turbulence. The universal constantB, which was formerly determined empirically as 0.062 is here obtained asB=(2)^–3/2=0.0635. Thus wind waves have the duality of turbulence and wave.     

Wind energy input to the Ekman-Stokes layer: Reply to comment by Jeff A. Polton

This reply corrects the estimate of the wind and wave energy inputs into the Ekman layer by using the Ekman-Stokes layer energy budget as suggested in Polton (2009). Using the data and method in Liu et al. (2007), the global wind energy input was recalculated. The estimated global total energy input to the Ekman-Stokes layer is 2.22 TW, including 1.93 TW direct wind energy input and 0.29 TW wave-induced energy input. Compared to that in Liu et al. (2007), the recalculated wave-induced energy input was increased by 0.03 TW.     

CHGS method for numerical forecasting of typhoon waves——Ⅰ. Spectrum of waves in growing phase

Owing to the fact that the wind speed and direction of typhoon vary rapidly with time and space in typhoon fetch; the nearer to the typhoon eye the greater the wind velocity, and the shorter the wind fetch the smaller the wind time,as a result,the more difficult for the wind wave to fully grow. Hence.in typhoon wave numerical calculation it is impossible to use the model for a fully grown wave spectrum. Lately, the author et at. presented a CHGS method for numerical forecasting of typhoon waves, where a model for the growing wave spectrum was set up (see Eq. (2) in the text). The model involves a parameter indicating the growing degree of wind wave, i. e. ,the mean wave age β. When βvalue is small, the wave energy is chiefly concentrated near the peak frequency, so that the spectral peak gets high and steep; with the increase of β the spectral shape gradually gets lower and gentler; when β=Ⅰ, the wave fully grows, the growing spectrum becomes a fully grown P-M spectrum. The model also shows a spect     

A model for the response of wave directions in slowly turning wind fields

On the basis of the wave energy balance equation, the response model of mean directions of locally wind-generated waves in slowly turning wind fields has been derived. The results show that in a homogeneous field, the time scale of the response is not only related to the rate of wave growth, but also to the directional energy distribution and the angle between the wind direction and the mean wave direction. Furthermore, the law of change in the mean wave direction has been derived. The numerical computations show that the response of wave directions to slowly turning wind directions can be treated as the superposition of the responses of wave directions to a series of sudden small-angle changes of wind directions and the turning rate of the mean wave direction depends on the turning rate and the total turning angles of the wind direction. The response of wave directions is in agreement with the response for a sudden change of wind directions if the change in wind directions is very fast. Based on the no     

海洋白浪寿命的定义及测量结果

通过对国内外白浪研究和应用的分析,首次提出了有效白浪寿命的定义,给出了计算白浪寿命的公式及测量方法和结果,并报告了以此方法在渤海实测的结果,得到了白浪寿命ＴＬ与海面风速Ｕ１０的关系为ＴＬ＝０．２６Ｕ１０以及白浪寿命概率分布近于瑞利分布等。     

Prediction of ocean waves based on the single-parameter growth equation of wind waves

A method for the prediction of ocean waves was developed on the basis of the single-parameter growth equation of wind waves, proposed byToba (1978) on the basis of similarity in growing wind waves. The applicability of the method to actual problems was tested by hindcasting the wave characteristics with the method, for two cases with differing time and space scales, one in Kii Channel Approach, Japan, and the other in the North Atlantic Ocean. The results showed that the present method can predict waves within an error of 1.3 m in wave heights, which ranged from 3 to 12 m.     

Sea-surface roughness length fluctuating in concert with wind and waves

When the nondimensional aerodynamic roughness parameter for the sea surface (gz ₀/u _* ²,g being the acceleration of gravity,u _* the air friction velocity) is plotted as a function of the wave age, the data points in the diagram are distributed mostly in a triangle area between the Charnock formula and the Toba-Koga formula; the nondimensional roughness perameter is not expressed as a unique function of the wave age, but rather there seem to be multiple regimes. In order to investigate the cause of the data point scattering, a reanalysis was made of the 4.5-hour time series of the wind profile and wind-wave statistics which were obtained at an oceanographic tower station under the conditions of a winter monsoon wind having slightly fluctuating speed and steadily growing wind waves.It is concluded that the averaged variation ofz ₀ is given by the Toba-Koga formula with a constant of value 0.015. However, as a result of the wind fluctuation on the time scales ranging from several minutes to an hour, data points show a conspicuous fluctuation on the nondimensional roughness parameter-wave age diagram in the direction transverse to the averaged variation. The variation inz ₀ directly reflects the degree of over- or under-saturation in the high-frequency range of the wind-wave spectra. Physical interpretation of these variations is also presented.     

Directional spectrum of ocean waves from array measurements using phase/time/path difference methods

Wave direction has for the first time been consistently, accurately and unambiguously evaluated from array measurements using the phase/time/path difference (PTPD) methods of Esteva in case of polygonal arrays and Borgman in case of linear arrays. We have used time series measurements of water surface elevation at a 15-gauge polygonal array, in 8 m water depth, operational at the CERC's Field Research Facility at Duck, North Carolina, USA. Two modifications have been made in the methodology. One modification is that we use the true phase instead of the apparent phase, the other modification being that estimates of wave direction are registered only if the relevant gauges in the array are coherent at 0.01 significance level. PTPD methods assume that in a spectral frequency band the waves approach from a single direction, and are simple, expedient and provide redundant estimates of wave direction. Using Esteva's method with the above modifications, we found that at Duck: (i) the directions of swell and surf beat, when energetic swell is present, conform to the schematic diagram of surf beat generation given by Herbers et al., (ii) surf beat of remote origin occurs when the significant wave height, H_mo, falls below 0.41 m, (iii) the surf beat of remote origin is not normally incident at the shore contrary to Herbers et al. In fact we found that the surf beat of remote origin is incident at angles in excess of 45° with respect to the shore normal, and (iv) the surf beat of remote origin is largely trans-oceanic in origin.     

Stability of planetary waves in a two-layer system

A stability of planetary waves on an infinite beta-plane is investigated in an idealized two-layer fluid system for the large local Rossby numberM. When a primary wave is barotropic, two kinds of barotropic instability modes are found. One of them was previously discussed byGill (1974). When a primary wave is baroclinic, two different kinds of modes that enable barotropic and baroclinic energy transfers are found. The one that has the larger growth rate gains its energy mainly from the mean shear of the primary wave when the internal rotational Froude numberF is smaller than 1/2. WhenF is larger than 1/2, however, the available energy conversion of the primary wave is dominant. This mode has a fairly large part of its energy in the barotropic motion although the primary wave is purely baroclinic.The effect ofO(M ^–2) corrections is found to have a stabilizing influence on all symmetrical modes. The geophysical applications of the present analysis are suggested in the context.     

Comparison of time-dependent extended mild-slope equations for random waves

The extended mild-slope equations of Suh et al. [Suh, K.D., Lee, C., Park, W.S., 1997. Time-dependent equations for wave propagation on rapidly varying topography. Coastal Eng., 32, 91–117] and Lee et al. [Lee, C., Kim, G., Suh, K.D., 2003. Extended mild-slope equation for random waves. Coastal Eng., 48, 277–287] are compared analytically and numerically to determine their applicability to random wave transformation. The geometric optics approach is used to compare the two models analytically. In the model of Suh et al., the wave number of the component wave with a local angular frequency ω is approximated with an accuracy of O(ω − ω¯) at a constant water depth, where ω¯ is the carrier frequency of random waves. In the model of Suh et al., however, the diffraction effects and higher-order bottom effects are considered only for monochromatic waves, and the shoaling coefficient of random waves is not accurately approximated. This inaccuracy arises because the model of Suh et al. was derived for regular waves. In the model of Lee et al., all the parameters of random waves such as wave number, shoaling coefficient, diffraction effects, and higher-order bottom effects are approximated with an accuracy of O(ω − ω¯). This approximation is because the model of Lee et al. was developed using the Taylor series expansion technique for random waves. The result of dispersion relation analysis suggests the use of the peak and weighted-average frequencies as a carrier frequency for Suh et al. and Lee et al. models, respectively. All the analytical results are verified by numerical experiments of shoaling of random waves over a slightly inclined bed and diffraction of random waves through a breakwater gap on a flat bottom.     

Examination of wind-wave interaction source term in WAVEWATCH III with tropical cyclone wind forcing

Results of drag coefficient(CD) from field observations and laboratory wave tank experiments indicate that the operational wave model can overestimate wind energy input under high wind conditions. The wind-wave interaction source term in WAVEWATCH Ⅲ has been modified to examine its behavior with tropical cyclone wind forcing. Using high resolution wind input,numerical experiments under idealized wind field and tropical cyclone Bonnie(1998) were designed to evaluate performance of the modified models. Both experiments indicate that the modified models with reduced CD significantly decrease wind energy input into the wave model and then simulate lower significant wave height(SWH) than the original model. However,the effects on spatial distribution of SWH,mean wavelength,mean wave direction,and directional wave spectra are insignificant. Due to the reduced wind energy input,the idealized experiment shows that the modified models simulate lower SWH than the original model in all four quadrants. The decrease in the front quadrants is significantly larger than that in the rear quadrants;it is larger under higher winds than lower winds. The realistic experiment on tropical cyclone Bonnie shows that the modified model with the various downward trends of CD in high winds creates a simulation that agrees best with scanning radar altimeter observations.     

江苏沿海波浪多重嵌套模拟研究

根据24年CCMP风场资料和江苏沿海4个方向(N、NE、E和SE)百年一遇风速,构建西北太平洋、东中国海和江苏沿海上述4个方向的百年一遇风场。首次建立一个基于第三代海浪模型SWAN的自西北太平洋、东中国海至江苏沿海的三重嵌套数值模型,以AVISO卫星观测数据和江苏沿海定点实测数据进行验证。以三个计算域4个方向百年一遇风场为驱动风场,驱动该多重嵌套模型,高精度数值模拟江苏沿海4个方向百年一遇有效波高分布并进行分析。结果表明,江苏沿海辐射沙洲地形对有效波高分布影响显著;E向百年一遇风场作用下海域有效波高最大,NE向次之,N向和SE较小。     

Measurement of directional spectrum of wind waves using an array of wave detectors

A method is proposed to estimate the true directional spectrum of wind waves by making use of more than four wave detectors. The true spectrum of wind waves whose wave lengths lie between about 1.1 and 2.6 times the largest span between the wave gauges can be recovered with an error less than 0.5 %. An additional wave gauge with fixed maximum span extends its effectivity to shorter wave lengths, but does not effect the upper limit of wave length.The method is based on the fact that the spectrum estimated byBarber (1961) is connected with true directional spectrum by the Fredholm integral equation of the first kind if the wave component satisfies the dispersion relation. Solving the equation by using the Fourier series method, we can get true spectrum.     

The effects of random surface waves on the steady Ekman current solutions

The response of near-surface current profiles to wind and random surface waves are studied based on the approach of Jenkins [1989. The use of a wave prediction model for driving a near surface current model. Dtsch. Hydrogr. Z. 42, 134–149] and Tang et al. [2007. Observation and modeling of surface currents on the Grand Banks: a study of the wave effects on surface currents. J. Geophys. Res. 112, C10025, doi:10.1029/2006JC004028]. Analytic steady solutions are presented for wave-modified Ekman equations resulting from Stokes drift, wind input and wave dissipation for a depth-independent constant eddy viscosity coefficient and one that varies linearly with depth. The parameters involved in the solutions can be determined by the two-dimensional wavenumber spectrum of ocean waves, wind speed, the Coriolis parameter and the densities of air and water, and the solutions reduce to those of Lewis and Belcher [2004. Time-dependent, coupled, Ekman boundary layer solutions incorporating Stokes drift. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans. 37, 313–351] when only the effects of Stokes drift are included. As illustrative examples, for a fully developed wind-generated sea with different wind speeds, wave-modified current profiles are calculated and compared with the classical Ekman theory and Lewis and Belcher's [2004. Time-dependent, coupled, Ekman boundary layer solutions incorporating Stokes drift. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans 37, 313–351] modification by using the Donelan and Pierson [1987. Radar scattering and equilibrium ranges in wind-generated waves with application to scatterometry. J. Geophys. Res. 92, 4971–5029] wavenumber spectrum, the WAM wave model formulation for wind input energy to waves, and wave energy dissipation converted to currents. Illustrative examples for a fully developed sea and the comparisons between observations and the theoretical predictions demonstrate that the effects of the random surface waves on the classical Ekman current are important, as they change qualitatively the nature of the Ekman layer. But the effects of the wind input and wave dissipation on surface current are small, relative to the impact of the Stokes drift.     

Taylor-Görtler vortices expected in the air flow on sea surface waves—II

The instability of Taylor-Görtler vortices which are expected in the air flow on water waves was studied in part I, under the assumption that the curvature around the crest or the trough of water waves, where the instability was expected to take place first, was constant, namely that the characteristics of the vortices were affected little by the local change of the curvature along the direction of the progress of water waves (the direction ofx-axis) However, the curvature actually varies from positive to negative, or vice versa. In order to study this effect, the instability of Taylor-Görtler vortices is examined with respect to the range of the part of a constant curvature, in the model in which the curvature is positive constant near the trough and negative constant near the crest, and zero in the intermediate regions, respectively. It is shown that as the region of the constant curvature becomes narrower, the instability tends to weaken. For the same example with part I, namely, when the wind of 12.2 m s^–1 is blowing over swells of 15 m in wavelength, if the range of constant curvature near the trough is taken as a quarter of one wave length, the critical wave height becomes 0.96 m instead of 0.50 m, and conversely, the wave length and the height of center of the vortex become 11.9 m and 2.1 m instead of 24 m and 3.7 m, respectively.Further, using the energy equations, quantitative estimates are performed of the intensity of the vortices which develop when the wave height of the swell is 1.05 m in the above described example, and also of the influence of the vortices upon the wind profile when the equilibrium state is reached. When the vortices are generated and grow to attain to an equilibrium state interacting with the mean flow, the maximumx-component of velocity in the vortices is about 1.04 m s^–1. Consequently, the wind profile undergoes a considerable distortion from the logarithmic one near the level of 2 m height. This distorted wind profile has a form similar to those sometimes observed above the sea surface.     

Sequential assimilation in the wind wave model for simulations of typhoon events around Taiwan Island

We investigate the effect of data assimilation in the Wind Wave Model (WWM, Hsu et al., 2005) for wind wave simulations of typhoon events using an Optimal Interpolation (OI) method in the coastal waters of Taiwan. The main point of the present study is that the assimilation is conducted for typhoon events with short-time periods around an island. Five real typhoon events were used for numerical assimilation experiments with different combinations of the key parameters: the correlation length, the ratio of the errors between the observation and the prediction, and the number of measuring stations. The retrieved wind velocity is obtained using the wave energy growth curve computed from the WWM. The wave energy dissipation function suggested by Makin and Kudryavtsev (1999) was adopted in the data assimilation. This study shows that assimilation can improve the initial performance of the wave model, but it becomes insignificant after about 12 h. In summary, the OI approach is shown to be a reliable assimilation scheme for the WWM applied to typhoon events in the coastal waters of Taiwan Island.     

Porosity effects on non-breaking surface waves over permeable submerged breakwaters

This study investigated how the porosity of submerged breakwaters affects non-breaking wave transformations. Eight model geometries each with six different porosities, from 0.421 to 0.912, were also considered. Experimental results reveal that the model width has little effect on wave reflection and transmission when the model heights are fixed. The transmission coefficient is maximum at a kh in the range from 1.3 to 2.0 and minimum at a kh around 0.7. The wave reflection maximum is at kh of near 0.5. The energy loss of the primary waves is maximum near kh=0.81 and minimum when the porosity of the model is large. Porosity does affect wave transformation and its influence becomes significant as the heights of the models increase. For the range of porosities tested, wave energy loss from the primary harmonic was found to be almost constant at around 0.4 when kh >1.3, decreasing slowly when kh <1.3; wave energy loss decreases for porosities above 0.75.     

Nonlinear properties of laboratory wind waves at energy containing frequencies

Nonlinear properties of wind waves in a wind-wave tunnel are investigated by measuring the probability density distribution of surface elevation. The surface elevation distribution of raw records are found to have a positive skewness (K ₃=0.21 to 0.43) and a negative kurtosis (K ₄=–0.74 to –0.41) with magnitude depending of fetch and wind speed. The values of skewness are in qualitative agreement with a prediction of the weak interaction theory for a random wave field incorporating the effects of second harmonics (Tayfun, 1980), but the values of kurtosis are different in sign from the prediction.To examine the nonlinear properties of energy containing components, higher harmonic components are excluded from the wave records by using a kind of a band-pass filter. The surface elevation distributions of the filtered waves show a sharp decrease in skewness , but the distributions remain highly non-Gaussian with a large negative kurtosis almost independent of the fetch and wind speed . It is concluded that the negative kurtosis is due to the non-random character of the phase and amplitude among the energy containing components, and that nonlinear interactions occur amongst the energy containing frequencies.