Effect of a Simple Storm on a Simple Ocean
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On the Modifications of Near-Inertial Waves at Fronts
Noname manuscript No. (will be inserted by the editor) On the modifications of near-inertial waves at fronts: Implications for energy transfer across scales Leif N. Thomas Received: date / Accepted: date Abstract In the ocean, wind-generated kinetic energy (KE) manifests itself primarily in balanced currents and near-inertial waves. The dynamics of these flows is strongly constrained by the Earth's rotation, causing the KE in bal- anced currents to follow an inverse cascade but also preventing wave-wave interactions from fluxing energy in the near-inertial band to lower frequencies and higher vertical wavenumbers. How wind-generated KE is transferred to small-scale turbulence and dissipated is thus a non-trivial problem. This article presents a review of recent theoretical calculations and numerical simulations that demonstrate how some surprising modifications to internal wave physics by the lateral density gradients present at ocean fronts allow for strong in- teractions between balanced currents and near-inertial waves that ultimately result in energy loss for both types of motion. Keywords fronts · internal waves · wave-mean flow interactions 1 Introduction Winds blowing over the ocean generate currents with a range of frequencies. The bulk of the kinetic energy (KE) in these flows is contained in mesoscale currents and eddies with low frequencies, which are strongly constrained by the Earth's rotation to follow the geostrophic balance. Winds also generate near-inertial waves (NIWs), which are oscillatory, unbalanced motions with frequencies close to the inertial frequency f = 2Ω sin φ (Ω is the Earth's angular velocity and φ latitude). The dissimilar temporal scales of the bal- anced, mesoscale currents and the NIWs suggest that the two types of motion should not interact very effectively, and that the fast waves should simply pass Leif N. -
A Tale of Three Waves
A brief introduction to oceanic waves April 16, 2015 Daniel Whitt Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics University of Cambridge [email protected] http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/dw494 1 Introduction: A tale of three waves The first of two lectures to be delivered at Capital Normal University, Beijing March 30-April 3, 2015 Many textbooks treat oceanic wave motion extensively (e.g. Phillips, 1966; Leblond and Mysak, 1978; Lighthill, 1978; Gill, 1982; Pedlosky, 1986; 2003) and the ideas have been studied for many centuries (e.g. the tidal equations were first derived by Pierre-Simon Laplace in 1776). As a result, I can't possibly give either a particularly original or comprehensive treatment of oceanic wave motions in this first lecture. Previous researchers and teachers deserve much (if not all) of the credit for what appears here. Rather, my goal is to give a descriptive introduction to oceanic wave motions using both ob- servations and mathematical analysis. My hope is that after this lecture you will have some appreciation for 1) the ubiquity and diversity of wave phenomena in the ocean, and 2) the prin- ciple mathematical models and techniques that have been used to interpret and understand these motions in atmospheric science, oceanography and geophysical fluid dynamics. In the second lecture, I will build on these ideas by discussing some topics in ocean wave physics that are \special" in that I have worked on them and/or the topic particularly interests me. 1.1 Introduction The ocean can support a variety of classes of waves (which we loosely define as traveling perturba- tions to an equilibrium background state with a propagation speed that is typically different from the background flow speed). -
The Signature of Inertial and Tidal Currents in Offshore Wave Records
JUNE 2012 G E M M R I C H A N D G A R R E T T 1051 The Signature of Inertial and Tidal Currents in Offshore Wave Records JOHANNES GEMMRICH AND CHRIS GARRETT University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (Manuscript received 2 March 2012, in final form 10 April 2012) ABSTRACT The roughness of the sea surface can be affected by strong currents. Here, long records of surface wave heights from buoy observations in the northeastern Pacific Ocean are examined. The data show the influence of tidal currents, but the first evidence of wave-height modulation (up to 20%) at a frequency that is slightly higher than the local inertial frequency is also found. This finding shows the effect on surface waves of near- inertial currents, which are typically the most energetic currents in the open ocean. The result has implications for wave forecasting but also provides valuable information on the frequency, strength, and intermittency of the associated near-inertial motions. 1. Introduction Data Management (http://www.meds-sdmm.dfo-mpo.gc. ca/isdm-gdsi/waves-vagues/index-eng.htm) and the Na- The height of ocean surface waves is largely a function tional Data Buoy Center (http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/) of wind speed, duration, and fetch (Holthuijsen 2007), for Canadian and U.S. locations, respectively. Technical and potential long-term trends in wave height might be modifications of the buoy hardware and the data pro- a tool for monitoring climate change (Young et al. 2011). cessing present challenges for long-term trend analyses Ambient currents on various time scales can change but do not affect data quality over time scales of hours the amplitude, direction, and frequency of ocean sur- to days (Gemmrich et al. -
CPY Document
Notes on the 1964 Summer Study Program in GEOPHYSICAL FLUID DYNAMICS at The WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION -;; ru -0.. Õ-i- rn ~_o:i rn ::ia- 0 :i___rn r-0 -_0o Reference No. 64-46 Contents of the Volumes Volume I Course Lectures and Seminars Volume II Student Lectures Refererence No. 64-46 Staff Members and Post-doctoral Participants *Barcilon, Albert Harvard University Bisshopp, Frederic Brown Uni ver s i ty Bretherton, Francis P. King i S Co 11 ege, Cambr idge, Engl and *Fofonoff, Nicholas WHO I *Greenspan, Harvey P. M.I.T. Hasselmann, Klaus U. C. S. D., Cal ifornia "'~Hide, Raymond M.I.T. *Kraichnan, Robert Peterborough, N.H. Krishnamurti, Tiruvalam U .C.L.A., California *Lortz, Dietrich M.I.T. Malkus, Willem V.R. U.C.L.A., California *Miller, Robert University of Chicago Robinson, Allan Harvard University "'~Rooth, Claes WHO I Stern, MelvinE. WHO I S tomme 1, Henry M. LT. *Turner, J. Stewart WHO I Veronis, George M.I.T. Pre~doctoral Participants Davis, Patrick A. Geophysics Columbia University Devine, Michael Oceanography N.Y.U Frisch, Uriel Astrophysics Inst.d 'Astrophys. ,Paris, France Halpern, Benjamin R Mathematics U.C.L.A., California Ka to, Sho j i Astrophysics University of Tokyo, Japan Kenyon, Kern Oceanography U. C. S.D., California Krishnamurti, Ruby Physics U.C.L.A., California Orszag, Steven A. Astrophysics Princeton University J;ierce, John G. Physics U.C.S.D., California Pond, Stephen Oceano gr aphy Univ. British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada Wal in, Sten Gosta Fluid Dynamics Inst.Meteorology, Stockholm, Sweden *Participated in less than one-half of the program.