Characteristics of the wind drift layer and microscale breaking waves

2007 ◽  
Vol 573 ◽  
pp. 417-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. KAMRAN SIDDIQUI ◽  
MARK R. LOEWEN
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wave Breaking ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Wind Drift ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Rate Of Dissipation ◽  
Drift Layer

An experimental study, investigating the mean flow and turbulence in the wind drift layer formed beneath short wind waves was conducted. The degree to which these flows resemble the flows that occur in boundary layers adjacent to solid walls (i.e. wall-layers) was examined. Simultaneous DPIV (digital particle image velocimetry) and infrared imagery were used to investigate these near-surface flows at a fetch of 5.5 m and wind speeds from 4.5 to 11 m s−1. These conditions produced short steep waves with dominant wavelengths from 6 cm to 18 cm. The mean velocity profiles in the wind drift layer were found to be logarithmic and the flow was hydrodynamically smooth at all wind speeds. The rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy was determined to be significantly greater in magnitude than would occur in a comparable wall-layer. Microscale breaking waves were detected using the DPIV data and the characteristics of breaking and non-breaking waves were compared. The percentage of microscale breaking waves increased abruptly from 11% to 80% as the wind speed increased from 4.5 to 7.4 m s− and then gradually increased to 90% as the wind speed increased to 11 m s−. At a depth of 1 mm, the rate of dissipation was 1.7 to 3.2 times greater beneath microscale breaking waves compared to non-breaking waves. In the crest–trough region beneath microscale breaking waves, 40% to 50% of the dissipation was associated with wave breaking. These results demonstrated that the enhanced near-surface turbulence in the wind drift layer was the result of microscale wave breaking. It was determined that the rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy due to wave breaking is a function of depth, friction velocity, wave height and phase speed as proposed by Terray et al. (1996). Vertical profiles of the rate of dissipation showed that beneath microscale breaking waves there were two distinct layers. Immediately beneath the surface, the dissipation decayed as ζ−0.7 and below this in the second layer it decayed as ζ−2. The enhanced turbulence associated with microscale wave breaking was found to extend to a depth of approximately one significant wave height. The only similarity between the flows in these wind drift layers and wall-layers is that in both cases the mean velocity profiles are logarithmic. The fact that microscale breaking waves were responsible for 40%–50% of the near-surface turbulence supports the premise that microscale breaking waves play a significant role in enhancing the transfer of gas and heat across the air–sea interface.

scholarly journals Effects of Wave Breaking on the Near-Surface Profiles of Velocity and Turbulent Kinetic Energy

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 490-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Melsom ◽  
Øyvind SÆtra
Keyword(s):  
Surface Stress ◽  
Wave Breaking ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Surface Region ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Stokes Drift ◽  
Surface Velocity ◽  
Momentum Exchange ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
The Mean

Abstract A theoretical model for the near-surface velocity profile in the presence of breaking waves is presented. Momentum is accumulated by growing waves and is released upon wave breaking. In effect, such a transition is a process involving a time-dependent surface stress acting on the mean current. In this paper, conventional theory for the Stokes drift is expanded to fourth-order accuracy in wave steepness. It is shown that the higher-order terms lead to an enhancement of the surface Stokes drift and a slight retardation of the Stokes volume flux. Furthermore, the results from the wave theory are used to obtain a bulk parameterization of momentum exchange during the process of wave breaking. The mean currents are then obtained by application of a variation of the “level 2.5” turbulence closure theory of Mellor and Yamada. When compared with the traditional approach of a constant surface stress, the mean Eulerian current exhibits a weak enhancement in the near-surface region, compensated by a negative shift deeper in the water column. However, it is found that the results of Craig and Banner and the results of Craig are not significantly affected by the present theory. Hence, this study helps to explain why the Craig and Banner model agrees well with observations when a realistic, time-varying surface stress acts on the drift currents.

Detection and Characterization of Microscale Breaking Waves

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. Kamran Siddiqui ◽  
Mark R. Loewen
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Water Surface ◽  
Air Entrainment ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Skin Layer ◽  
Wave Crest ◽  
Gas Transfer ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
The Waves

Microscale breaking waves are short wind-generated waves that break without air entrainment. At low to moderate wind speeds microscale breaking waves play an important role in enhancing air-water heat and gas transfer. We report on a series of experiments conducted in a wind-wave flume at Harris Hydraulics Laboratory (University of Washington, Seattle) designed to investigate the importance of microscale breaking waves in generating near-surface turbulence and in enhancing air-sea gas and heat transfer rates. Non-invasive experiments were performed at wind speeds ranging from 4.5 m/s to 11 m/s and at a fetch of 5.5 m. The skin-layer or water surface temperature was measured using an infrared (IR) imager and digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) was used to obtain simultaneous measurements of the two-dimensional velocities immediately below the water surface. Analysis of the simultaneous DPIV and infrared datasets revealed that microscale breaking waves generate strong vortices in their crests that disrupt the cool skin layer at the water surface and create thermal wakes that are visible in the infrared images. While non-breaking waves do not generate strong vortices and hence do not disrupt the skin layer. We developed a scheme based on the magnitude of vorticity in the wave crest to identify microscale breaking waves. The results show that at a wind speed of 4.5 m/s, 11% of the waves broke. The percentage of breaking waves increased with wind speed and at a wind speed of 11 m/s, 91% of the waves were microscale breaking waves. Comparison of different geometric and flow properties of microscale breaking and non-breaking waves revealed that microscale breaking waves are steeper, larger in amplitude and generate more turbulent kinetic energy compared to non-breaking waves.

scholarly journals Natural variability in air–sea gas transfer efficiency of CO2

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingxi Yang ◽  
Timothy J. Smyth ◽  
Vassilis Kitidis ◽  
Ian J. Brown ◽  
Charel Wohl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Transfer Efficiency ◽  
Gas Transfer ◽  
Transfer Velocity ◽  
Concentration Difference ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Surface Active ◽  
The Mean

AbstractThe flux of CO2 between the atmosphere and the ocean is often estimated as the air–sea gas concentration difference multiplied by the gas transfer velocity (K660). The first order driver for K660 over the ocean is wind through its influence on near surface hydrodynamics. However, field observations have shown substantial variability in the wind speed dependencies of K660. In this study we measured K660 with the eddy covariance technique during a ~ 11,000 km long Southern Ocean transect. In parallel, we made a novel measurement of the gas transfer efficiency (GTE) based on partial equilibration of CO2 using a Segmented Flow Coil Equilibrator system. GTE varied by 20% during the transect, was distinct in different water masses, and related to K660. At a moderate wind speed of 7 m s−1, K660 associated with high GTE exceeded K660 with low GTE by 30% in the mean. The sensitivity of K660 towards GTE was stronger at lower wind speeds and weaker at higher wind speeds. Naturally-occurring organics in seawater, some of which are surface active, may be the cause of the variability in GTE and in K660. Neglecting these variations could result in biases in the computed air–sea CO2 fluxes.

Change of Regime of Air-Sea Dynamics in Extreme Metocean Conditions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander V. Babanin
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wave Breaking ◽  
Bubble Dynamics ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Upper Ocean ◽  
Wave Dynamics ◽  
Estimate Frequency ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Upper Ocean Mixing ◽  
Scale Classification

As a reference point for the extreme Metocean conditions, the hurricane-scale classification is often used: that is a tropical storm becomes a hurricane if the wind speed reaches U ∼ 33m/s. In this paper, it is argued that such classification is not arbitrary, and indeed signifies change of the physical regimes in all environments near the air-sea interface: in the atmospheric boundary layer, at the surface, and through the upper ocean. This threshold is approximately the wind speed at which the drag coefficient was found to saturate in the field observations (U10 ≈ 32–33m/s), which saturation has received a lot of attention. Less known are the observations that below the surface, change of the upper-ocean mixing mechanism and of bubble dynamics occur at U10 > 35m/s. Directly at the surface, wave dynamics also undergoes essential transformations, from wave breaking (dissipation) being driven by evolution of nonlinear waves, to the breaking being forced directly by the winds, at U10 ≈ 34 m/s. It is therefore argued that the simultaneous change of physical regime in all the three air-sea environments cannot be coincidental, and consequences of the regime change for the Metocean modelling are discussed. As an important byproduct, parameterisation of wave-breaking probability is obtained in terms of the mean symmetry of surface waves. Such parameterisation allows us to estimate frequency of breaking events, based on time series of surface elevations, without explicitly detecting the breaking waves.

scholarly journals Wind speed characteristics and implications for wind power generation: Cape regions, South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 113 (7/8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc A. Wright ◽  
Stefan W. Grab
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Power Generation ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Coastal Zone ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
The Mean

Spatio-temporal dynamics of near-surface wind speeds were examined across the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape regions of South Africa. The regions assessed were geographically subdivided into three zones: coastal, coastal hinterland and inland. Wind speed data (10 m) were evaluated at monthly, seasonal, annual and zonal resolutions, with the aim to establish wind speed attributes and trends. Data from 19 weather stations with high-resolution wind records between 1995 and 2014 were evaluated. The majority of stations (79%) recorded a decrease in mean annual wind speed over the study period. The mean rate of decrease across all stations over the 20-year period equates to -1.25%, quantifying to an annual decrease of -0.002 m/s/year (-0.06% pa). The largest seasonal decline of -0.006 m/s/year (-0.15% pa) was recorded in summer. Statistically significant declines in mean annual wind speed are somewhat more pronounced for the coastal zone (-0.003 m/s/year, -0.08% pa) than over interior regions (-0.002 m/s/year, -0.06% pa) for the study period. The largest decrease (-0.08% pa) was recorded for the coastal zone, followed by the inland zone (-0.06% pa), equating to an annual reduction in available energy of 0.18% pa and 0.09% pa, respectively. When considering all stations over the study period, the mean inter-annual variability is 3.11%. Despite such decreases in wind speed, the variance identified in this study would not have posed any risk to power generation from wind across the assessed stations, based on the period 1995 to 2014.

scholarly journals Snow density along the route traversed by the Japanese-Swedish Antarctic Expedition 2007/08

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (209) ◽  
pp. 529-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shin Sugiyama ◽  
Hiroyuki Enomoto ◽  
Shuji Fujita ◽  
Kotaro Fukui ◽  
Fumio Nakazawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Snow Density ◽  
Syowa Station ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
A Value ◽  
Surface Snow ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Antarctic

AbstractDuring the Japanese-Swedish Antarctic traverse expedition of 2007/08, we measured the surface snow density at 46 locations along the 2800 km long route from Syowa station to Wasa station in East Antarctica. The mean snow density for the upper 1 (or 0.5) m layer varied from 333 to 439 kg m-3 over a region spanning an elevation range of 365-3800 ma.s.l. The density variations were associated with the elevation of the sampling sites; the density decreased as the elevation increased, moving from the coastal region inland. However, the density was relatively insensitive to the change in elevation along the ridge on the Antarctic plateau between Dome F and Kohnen stations. Because surface wind is weak in this region, irrespective of elevation, the wind speed was suggested to play a key role in the near-surface densification. The results of multiple regression performed on the density using meteorological variables were significantly improved by the inclusion of wind speed as a predictor. The regression analysis yielded a linear dependence between the density and the wind speed, with a coefficient of 13.5 kg m-3 (m s-1)-1. This relationship is nearly three times stronger than a value previously computed from a dataset available in Antarctica. Our data indicate that the wind speed is more important to estimates of the surface snow density in Antarctica than has been previously assumed.

scholarly journals Local Characteristics of the Nocturnal Boundary Layer in Response to External Pressure Forcing

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 3035-3047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. A. van der Linden ◽  
Peter Baas ◽  
J. Antoon van Hooft ◽  
Ivo G. S. van Hooijdonk ◽  
Fred C. Bosveld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Stable Boundary Layer ◽  
Dynamical Behavior ◽  
Geostrophic Wind ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Stable Boundary ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Turbulent Characteristics

AbstractGeostrophic wind speed data, derived from pressure observations, are used in combination with tower measurements to investigate the nocturnal stable boundary layer at Cabauw, the Netherlands. Since the geostrophic wind speed is not directly influenced by local nocturnal stability, it may be regarded as an external forcing parameter of the nocturnal stable boundary layer. This is in contrast to local parameters such as in situ wind speed, the Monin–Obukhov stability parameter (z/L), or the local Richardson number. To characterize the stable boundary layer, ensemble averages of clear-sky nights with similar geostrophic wind speeds are formed. In this manner, the mean dynamical behavior of near-surface turbulent characteristics and composite profiles of wind and temperature are systematically investigated. The classification is found to result in a gradual ordering of the diagnosed variables in terms of the geostrophic wind speed. In an ensemble sense the transition from the weakly stable to very stable boundary layer is more gradual than expected. Interestingly, for very weak geostrophic winds, turbulent activity is found to be negligibly small while the resulting boundary cooling stays finite. Realistic numerical simulations for those cases should therefore have a comprehensive description of other thermodynamic processes such as soil heat conduction and radiative transfer.

scholarly journals The Characteristics of West Season Wind and Wave as well as Their Impacts on Ferry Cruise in The Kalianget-Kangean Cruise Route, Madura, Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viv Djanat Prasita ◽  
Lukman Aulia Zati ◽  
Supriyatno Widagdo
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wave Height ◽  
The West ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Wave Patterns ◽  
Time Stamps ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Two Peaks ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Descriptive Statistical Analysis

The wind and wave conditions in the waters of the Kalianget-Kangean cruise route in the west season are relatively high so that these winds and waves can have a dangerous impact on that cruise route. The aim of this research was to analyze the characteristics of wind speed and wave height over a 10 year period (2008-2017), as well as to evaluate the weekly patterns for three months (December 2017-February 2018). These time stamps represent the west season in waters at Kalianget-Kangean route, and to identify the impact of winds and wave on this path. The method used in this research is descriptive statistical analysis to obtain the mean and maximum values ​​of wind speed and wave height. Wind and wave patterns were analyzed by WRPlot and continued with mapping of wind and wave patterns in the waters of Kalianget-Kangean and its surroundings. The data used was obtained from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. The results show wind and wave characteristics with two peaks formed regularly between 2008-2017, marking the west and east monsoons. In addition, the wind speed and wave height were generally below the danger threshold, ie <10 knots and <2 m, respectively. However, there are exceptions in the west season, especially at the peak in January, where the forces are strengthened with a steady blowing direction. The maximum wind speed reaches and wave height reaches 29 knots and 6.7 m, respectively. The weekly conditions for both parameters from December 2017 to February 2018 were relatively safe, for sailing. Moreover, January 23-29, 2018 featured extreme conditions estimated as dangerous for cruise due to the respective maximum values of 25 knots and 3.8 m recorded. The channel is comparably safe, except during the western season time in December, January, February, characterized by wind speeds and wave height exceeding 21 knots and 2.5 m, correspondingly.

Wave breaking in the presence of wind drift and swell

1974 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. M. Phillips ◽  
M. L. Banner
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wave Breaking ◽  
Wind Wave ◽  
Maximum Amplitude ◽  
Velocity Difference ◽  
Wind Drift ◽  
Short Waves ◽  
Long Wave ◽  
Molecular Viscosity ◽  
Surface Drift

Wind, blowing over a water surface, induces a thin layer of high vorticity in which the wind stress is supported by molecular viscosity; the magnitude of the surface drift, the velocity difference across the layer, being of the order of 3% of the wind speed. When long waves move across the surface, there is a nonlinear augmentation of the surface drift near the long-wave crests, so that short waves, superimposed on the longer ones, experience an augmented drift in these regions. This is shown to reduce the maximum amplitude that the short waves can attain when they are at the point of incipient breaking.Theoretical estimates of the reduction are compared with measurements in wind-wave tanks by the authors and by Mitsuyasu (1966) in which long mechanically generated waves are superimposed on short wind-generated waves. The reductions measured in the energy density of the short waves by increasing the slope of the longer ones at constant wind speed are generally consistent with the predictions of the theory in a variety of cases.

On the wind resource in Algeria: Probability distributions evaluation

2020 ◽  
pp. 095765092097588
Author(s):  
Houdayfa Ounis ◽  
Nawel Aries
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Probability Distribution ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Resource Assessment ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
The Other ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Wind Resource Assessment ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Wind Resource

The present study aims to present a contribution to the wind resource assessment in Algeria using ERA-Interim reanalysis. Firstly, the ERA-Interim reanalysis 10 m wind speed data are considered for the elaboration of the mean annual 10 m wind speed map for a period starting from 01-01-2000 to 31-12-2017. Moreover, the present study intends to highlight the importance of the descriptive statistics other than the mean in wind resource assessment. On the other hand, this study aims also to select the proper probability distribution for the wind resource assessment in Algeria. Therefore, nine probability distributions were considered, namely: Weibull, Gamma, Inverse Gaussian, Log Normal, Gumbel, Generalized Extreme Value (GEV), Nakagami, Generalized Logistic and Pearson III. Furthermore, in combination with the distribution, three parameter estimation methods were considered, namely, Method of Moment, Maximum Likelihood Method and L-Moment Method. The study showed that Algeria has several wind behaviours due to the diversified topographic, geographic and climatic properties. Moreover, the annual mean 10 m wind speed map showed that the wind speed varies from 2.3 to 5.3 m/s, where 73% of the wind speeds are above 3 m/s. The map also showed that the Algerian Sahara is windiest region, while, the northern fringe envelopes the lowest wind speeds. In addition, it has been shown that the study of the mean wind speeds for the evaluation of the wind potential alone is not enough, and other descriptive statistics must be considered. On the other hand, among the nine considered distribution, it appears that the GEV is the most appropriate probability distribution. Whereas, the Weibull distribution showed its performance only in regions with high wind speeds, which, implies that this probability distribution should not be generalized in the study of the wind speed in Algeria.

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