On the spectral dissipation of ocean waves due to white capping

Summary The effect of white capping on the spectral energy balance of surface waves is investigated by expressing the white-cap interactions in terms of an equivalent ensemble of random pressure pulses. It is shown first that the source function for any non-expansible interaction process which is weak-in-the-mean is quasi-linear. In the case of white capping, the damping coefficient is then shown to be proportional to the square of the frequency, provided the wave scales are large compared with the white-cap dimensions. The remaining free factor is determined indirectly from consideration of the spectral energy balance. The proposed white-capping dissipation function is consistent with the structure of the energy balance derived from JONSWAP, and the existence of a ^–5 spectrum governed by a non-local energy balance between the atmospheric input, the nonlinear energy transfer and dissipation. However, closure of the energy balance involves hypotheses regarding the structure of the atmospheric input function which need to be tested by further measurements. The proposed set of source functions may nevertheless be useful for numerical wave-prediction. According to the model, nearly all the momentum transferred across the air-sea interface enters the wave field. For fetchlimited and fully developed spectra in a stationary, uniform wind field, the drag coefficient remains approximately constant. However, for more general wind conditions, this will not be the case and the wave spectrum should be included in an accurate parameterisation of the air-sea momentum transfer.Contribution from the Sonderforschungsbereich Meeresforschung Hamburg of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

On the generation of sea waves by a turbulent wind

Miles' (1957) theory of wave generation is modified to include the effects of air turbulence. It is shown that the fluctuating wave-induced Reynolds stresses are important only within a critical layer surrounding the critical height where the mean wind speed matches the wave phase speed. When the critical height is such that the critical layer extends to the air-sea interface, the energy transfer from the wind to the wave is affected greatly by the turbulence.     

南海北部风浪特征的计算

探讨南海北部海域风浪成长时有效波高与风速、风时、风区之间的关系,同时分析了5种风浪要素的推算方法,探讨其在南海北部海域的适用性。结果表明：1）在南海北部,风速和风时呈现线性增长的关系,风速越大,风浪从过度状态成长到充分成长状态所需风时就越长;风速大小和风区长度之间满足平方关系,风速越大,风浪充分成长所需风区长度就越长。2）在南海北部,有效波高的大小与风速的大小、风时的长短、风区的长度3者密切相关。3）SMB方法、W ilson IV方法和青岛方法,在计算南海北部的风浪关系中体现出了一定的稳定性和适应性。     

Directional measurements of wave growth in a short and narrow fetch geometry

The growth of young waves along a narrow bay and their directional spectra were studied. The fetch geometry was found to affect the shape of the spectrum already when the waves were young. When compared to the growth from a straight shoreline, the dimensionless energy was reduced, but the change in dimensionless peak frequency was smaller. The behaviour of the young waves was similar to that of the mature waves but the differences between narrow and broad fetch geometries were smaller, which suggests that due to a stronger nonlinear transfer the young waves are less sensitive to the fetch geometry. The directional spectrum of the young waves in the narrow fetch geometry was narrower at all energy containing frequencies than the spectra from broad fetch geometry, which further supports the conclusion that the shape of the spectrum is not independent of the fetch geometry.     

Vertical Structure in the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer and its Implication for the Inertial Dissipation Method

The structure of the marine atmospheric boundarylayer and the validity ofMonin–Obukhov similarity theory over the seahave been investigated using longterm measurements. Three levels of turbulencemeasurements (at 10 m, 18 mand 26 m) at Östergarnsholm in themiddle of the Baltic Sea have beenanalysed. The results show that turbulentparameters have a strong dependenceon the actual height due to wave influence.The wind profile and thus thenormalised wind gradient are very sensitiveto wave state. The lower part of theboundary layer can be divided into three heightlayers, a wave influenced layerclose to the surface, a transition layer andan undisturbed ordinary surfacelayer; the depth of the layers is determinedby the wave state. This heightstructure can, however, not be found for thenormalised dissipation, which is onlya function of the stability, except duringpronounced swell where the actualheight also has to be accounted for. Theresults have implications for the heightvariation of the turbulent kinetic energy(TKE) budget. Thus, the imbalancebetween production and dissipation willalso vary with height according to thevariation of wave state. This, in turn,will of course have strong implicationsfor the inertial dissipation method, inwhich a parameterisation of the TKEbudget is used.     

Spectral features of the energy transfer between internal waves and a larger-scale shear flow

Internal waves propagating in a larger-scale shear flow slowly change their amplitudes and wavenumbers. For moderate shear flows the secular effect of these changes reduces to a diffusion of wave action in wavenumber space. The diffusion coefficients are derived under the assumption that relaxation processes exist within the internal wave field. Associated with the diffusion of wave action is an energy transfer between the mean flow and the wave field. The wavenumber—frequency dependence of this energy transfer is evaluated for the Garrett and Munk (1975) spectral model. For this spectrum the transfer shows a characteristic +—+ signature with a weak source of internal wave energy at near-inertial frequencies, a weak sink at medium frequencies, and a strong source at high frequencies. The integrated energy transfer is from the mean flow to the internal wave field.     

Variation of the spectrum of wind ripple on coastal waters under the action of internal waves

The mechanism of flattening of surface wind waves in the centimetre wavelength range under the action of internal waves and in the presence of surfactants is considered. It is shown that internal waves give rise to perturbations of surfactant concentration proportional to the orbital velocities of wave particles. Accordingly, the damping coefficient of centimetre wavelength ripples is also modulated. Evolution of the wind wave spectrum is described by the energy balance equation. In the right-hand side of the equation the Phillips excitation mechanism, the Miles mechanism with a nonlinear spectrum limitation, and the dissipation caused by a surface-active film are taken into account. Assuming that the energy source and sink balance of the wind wave spectrum over the centimetre wavelength range is local, relative spectra (contrasts) for the case of gentle breeze are calculated. It is shown that the spectral components of ripples in the slicks can be order less than the uperturbed spectrum values.     

Numerical simulation of air flow over breaking waves

The air flow above breaking monochromatic Stokes waves is studied using a numerical nonlinear model of the turbulent air flow above waves of finite amplitude. The breaking event (spilling breaker) is parameterized by increasing the local roughness at the downwind slope of the wave, just beyond the crest. Both moderate slope waves and steep waves are considered. Above steep breaking waves, a large increase (typically 100%) in the total wind stress — averaged over the wave profile — is found compared to nonbreaking moderate slope waves. This is due to the drastic increase of the form drag, which arises from the asymmetrical surface pressure pattern above breaking waves. Both increase of wave slope (sharpening of the crest) and increase of local roughness in the spilling breaker area cause this asymmetrical surface pressure pattern. A comparison of the numerical results with the recent experimental measurements of Banner (1990) is carried out and a good agreement is found for the structure of the pressure pattern above breaking waves and for the magnitude of enhanced momentum transfer. Also: Dept. of Applied Physics, Techn. Univ. Delft, Netherlands.     

利用浮标站观测资料分析台风“贝碧嘉”过境时风浪变化特征

利用北部湾海域一个大型气象浮标站获取的台风"贝碧嘉"过程实测数据,分析了该台风过境时风浪变化特征。分析结果表明:台风的风速时程变化曲线呈"M"形双峰分布,台风眼壁区风速最大,前眼壁区风速大于后眼壁区,前眼壁区和后眼壁区最大风速分别为22.6m/s和20.8m/s;台风眼区气压和风速最小,波高和波周期最大,其中眼区最大风速为2.7m/s,最大波高为5.4m,最大波周期为5.5s;波高最大值出现时间滞后风速最大值40min;台风眼区以外的波高与风速正相关;在台风从浮标站南侧经过期间,风向和波向均沿着顺时针方向旋转,其中风向和波向10min最大旋转角度分别为50°和150°;风向与波向不在同一个方向,两者之间的夹角平均为171°。     

Observed generation of an atmospheric gravity wave by shear instability in the mean flow of the planetary boundary layer

Observations of a single boundary-layer event — the generation of an atmospheric gravity wave by an unstable shear flow at Haswell, Colorado on November 12, 1971 — are briefly described and discussed. The observations were made using: (a) an acoustic echo sounder, (b) anemometers mounted at two fixed levels on a 150-m tower, (c) an anemometer and a thermometer mounted on a movable carriage on the tower, and (d) a microbarograph array, including one microbarograph mounted atop the tower. The wave phase velocity (–3.5–4.0 m s^–1) was found to equal the wind velocity in the middle of the shear flow, as assumed by other authors. The wave-associated vertical fluxes of momentum and energy measured just above the wave critical layer were estimated to be –5 dyn cm^–2 and –800 erg cm^–2 s^–1, respectively. These are large values. The annual average vertical flux of momentum at temperate and high latitudes is –0.25 dyn cm^–2, while the average kinetic energy dissipation rate in a unit column of atmosphere is –5 × 10³ erg cm^–2 s^–1. If the region of wave generation was itself propagating horizontally, its propagation velocity was large compared with the horizontal phase speed of the small-scale waves generated. Wave generation appeared to occur over an area large compared with the size of the microbarograph array (i.e., 2 km).     

One-dimensional theory of the wave boundary layer

Results obtained in a 2-D modeling of the statistical structure of the wave boundary layer (WBL) are used for elaboration of the general approach to 1-D modeling taking into account the spectral properties of wave drag for an arbitrary wave field. In the case of the wave field described by the JONSWAP spectrum, the momentum and energy spectral density exchange, vertical profiles of the wave-induced momentum flux and dependence of total roughness parameter and drag coefficient on peak frequency are given. The reasons that the total roughness parameter increases with decreasing fetch are explained. The role of wind waves as an active element of the ocean-atmosphere dynamic system is also discussed.     

一次降雨过程风廓线雷达回波特征

为应用风廓线雷达监测降水天气,通过对2006年南京地区一次春季降雨过程的边界层风廓线雷达探测数据与自动站雨量数据进行对比分析和相关性统计,研究降水发生、维持和消亡期间风廓线雷达资料的变化特征,分析风廓线雷达垂直速度、速度谱宽与降雨强度之间的相关性。结果表明：当降雨临近时,风廓线雷达水平风廓线上的空洞逐渐消失,当降雨结束时空洞再次出现,且伴随着低空急流的出现降水明显增强。随着降雨的发生,风廓线雷达产品的垂直速度、速度谱宽和折射率结构常数值均明显增大。整个降水期间,550 m高度层以下的垂直速度与降水量存在显著线性负相关,450—950 m高度层之间的速度谱宽与降水量存在显著线性正相关,可见垂直速度、速度谱宽的变化与降水强度关系密切;当垂直负速度变小或速度谱宽变大时,降水增强的可能性增大。研究结果揭示了风廓线雷达垂直速度、速度谱宽与降雨强度之间的内在联系,可为风廓线雷达应用于降雨天气监测提供参考。     

一次降雨过程风廓线雷达特征

为应用风廓线雷达监测降水天气,通过对2006年南京地区一次春季降雨过程的边界层风廓线雷达探测数据和自动站雨量数据进行对比分析和相关性统计,研究了降水发生、维持和消亡期间风廓线雷达资料的变化特征,分析风廓线雷达垂直速度、速度谱宽与降雨强度之间的相关性。结果表明：当降雨临近时,风廓线雷达水平风廓线上的空洞逐渐消失,当降雨结束时空洞再次出现,且伴随着低空急流的出现降水明显增强。随着降雨的发生,风廓线雷达产品的垂直速度、速度谱宽和折射率结构常数值均明显增大。整个降水期间,550 m高度层以下的垂直速度与降水量存在显著线性负相关,450-950 m高度层之间的速度谱宽与降水量存在显著线性正相关,可见垂直速度、速度谱宽的变化与降水强度关系密切;当垂直负速度变小或速度谱宽变大时,降水增强的可能性增大。研究结果揭示了风廓线雷达垂直速度、速度谱宽与降雨强度之间的内在联系,可为风廓线雷达应用于降雨天气的监测。     

Visualization of airflow separation over wind-wave crests under moderate wind

An intermittently-smoking smoke-wire was devised to visualize the airflow structure over individual crests of actual wind waves. The device was used under a moderate wind 6 m s^-1 (maximum speed in the vertical cross-section) at a fetch 3.8 m in a wind-wave tunnel. Airflow patterns with separation were clearly visualized over wind-wave crests which were not accompanied by wave breaking characterized by air entrainment. A classification of 41 samples of airflow structures showed that two distinct patterns (with and without separation) exist, with significant frequency of occurrence for each.     

Observations of a multi-level turbulence structure in a very stable atmospheric boundary layer

Boundary-layer measurements conducted at the Marsta site in Sweden from a winter-time situation (23–25 Feb.) with stable stratification have been analysed. The data comprise wind and temperature profile measurements up to 30 m, turbulence measurements at 2, 6 and 30 m and Doppler acoustic sounder data up to about 150 m. The upwind fetch at the site is flat and free from obstacles to a distance of ca 5 km for the particular sector chosen for the experiment.During the night, a two-layer vertical structure developed. Analysis of power spectra, co-spectra and variances in a shallow and very stable turbulent boundary layer near the ground show that the turbulence is fully developed and follow the universal behaviour.Above, at a height of 30 m, another turbulent layer is produced by increased wind shear near a low-level jet. This turbulent upper layer can be regarded as a layer of free shear flow. At this height, there also exist wave-turbulence interactions at low frequencies which sometimes cause a countergradient heat flux.     

Comparative energetics of ERA-40, JRA-25 and NCEP-R2 reanalysis, in the wave number domain

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts 40-year Reanalysis (ERA-40), the Japan Meteorological Agency and Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry 25-year Reanalysis (JRA-25), and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and Department of Energy AMIP-II Reanalysis (NCEP-R2) are intercompared through a global energetics analysis for all seasons.Overall, the Lorenz energy cycle is consistent among the three datasets. The flow of energy and the peaks and slopes in the spectra of the various components agree between the three reanalysis. Additionally, the temporal variability of the energy cycle terms shows consistency between the three reanalysis. Most differences between the three reanalysis are related to the magnitudes of energy forms and energy conversion/transfer rates at each wave number, generally following the relation ERA−40>JRA−25>NCEP−R2, and mainly located in the Southern Hemisphere. The best agreement between the three datasets is found for northern winter. Differences between the three datasets are greater for the other seasons, being greatest for northern summer. In general, these discrepancies are fairly modest, being likely due to the different model biases and resolutions, and the different data assimilation methods used by the respective reanalysis systems. The energetics of the three reanalysis become closer to each other in more recent years, which is likely due to the increase in the number of observations assimilated in the reanalysis.The NCEP-R2 reanalysis spectrum is smoother than those of ERA-40 and JRA-25, likely due to filtering and to its lower resolution model. The spectra show a rapid decrease for short waves in NCEP-R2 (n=36) and ERA-40 (n=63), as a consequence of filtering. The energy source in the nonlinear wave–wave interactions of kinetic energy, L(n), has a narrower spectral range in NCEP-R2 than in the other datasets. Energetics from the newer JRA-25 reanalysis is generally closer to that of ERA-40, with some exceptions as is the case of zonal–wave interactions of kinetic energy, M(n), for synoptic waves, or for eddy available potential energy, A_E, in the lower troposphere, for which JRA-25 is closer to NCEP-R2.     

北京冬季大风过程大气边界层特征分析

利用北京中国科学院大气物理研究所325 m气象观测塔的气象梯度资料和湍流资料,分析了2014年11月29日至12月5日北京两次大风过程中气象要素和湍流输送特征的变化。第一次大风过程的强度和持续时间均高于第二次大风过程。强烈的风速垂直切变主要集中在距地面100 m高度范围内,最强风速垂直切变达到0.31 s~(-1)。大风过程中,阵风系数呈现随高度减小的趋势,越接近地面,阵风系数愈大。阵风强度的变化与阵风系数相似,100 m以下高度时,阵风强度随高度增大而减小。大风过程自上而下改变边界层结构,平均动能、湍流动能和摩擦速度最先从上层(280 m)发生变化且迅速增加。近地层由于风速垂直梯度的显著差异,近地层垂直方向的湍流强度最大。大风时各功率谱在低频区(0.01 s~(-1))达到峰值,大风过后各高度的能量都有所下降。     

Wind‐induced microseisms from Lake Ontario

Abstract

The characteristics of microseisms measured in four vaults of the Southern Ontario Seismic Network within 30 km of the shore of Lake Ontario are analysed. It is shown that the rms values in the 1–3 Hz band are coherent between the stations, indicating a common generative mechanism. A distinct onshore intermittent flux of Rayleigh‐like wave energy was detected at a site near the shore. Microseismic energy in this band is distinctly correlated with the wind speed. The incremental microseismic energy above an absolute minimum activity as a function of wind direction, for a given fixed wind speed, correlates with the average fetch of the wind over the lake, indicating that the source of microseisms is the lake itself. The sensitivity to fetch effects is similar for both onshore and offshore stations indicating that shoaling is probably not a source. Niagara Falls, which also can have a wind‐dependent flow from Lake Erie, causes a measurable effect to at least 25 km but does not significantly affect stations at a distance of 150 km.     

Prediction of inversion strengths and heights from A 1-D nocturnal boundary layer model

A 1-D numerical model for the nocturnal boundary layer is developed which is capable of predicting inversion heights and strengths successfully. The model uses two distinct length scales for the dissipation of turbulent energy and for transfer of heat and momentum within the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL). The wind and potential temperature profiles obtained from the present model are compared with observations and the agreement is found to be good, viz., the RMSE for inversion height is found to be 71 m and that for inversion strength is found to be 2.0 °C.     

Drag coefficient modeling for the near coastal zone

Using the JONSWAP spectrum for describing the surface wave state in the near coastal zone, models for the roughness length and the drag coefficient are used to simulate the dependence of the wind stress on fetch and depth. The results of each model are then compared with a compiled set of past investigations of the neutral drag coefficient over a variety of conditions. It is found that the models of Donelan, Hsu, and Kitaigorodskii correctly predict the trends in the drag coefficient with fetch and depth. Although it did not account for all the observed variations in the neutral drag coefficient. Kitaigorodskii's model, when incorporating the JONSWAP spectrum, more accurately simulated the slopes of the various C_DN regressions against windspeed.