Horizontal Wind Veering and Backing Near the Coastline Within Monterey Bay
Abstract
A three-phase field experiment was conducted in and around Monterey Bay, CA, in 2021 and 2022 using a combination of 18 moored air-sea spar buoys to describe horizontal wind veering along the coastal ocean. Hourly-mean wind speeds and directions were collected from anemometers at 4 m heights. Phase 1 (June-July 2021) focused predominantly on cross-shore winds within southern Monterey Bay. Phase 2 (August 2021) focused on winds around the complex headland of Monterey Peninsula. Phase 3 (August 2022) examined alongshore winds off Santa Cruz. Due to the persistent diurnal sea breeze pattern within the bay, canonical days were analyzed at each buoy to understand changes in wind speed and direction. Three cross-shore arrays were used to analyze topographic influences on surface wind behavior. All three arrays found winds veering and backing with decreasing distance to shore due to the presence of land and the differential roughness influencing the wind speed. The Bellamy method was used to compute Differential Kinematic Properties (DKPs) of vorticity, divergence, shear and stretch by using triangles with corners delineated by buoy locations. Twelve triangle centers were chosen for both Phase 2 and Phase 3. The response to wind veering and backing by the coastal topography induce cross- and along-shore gradients in the wind that can be described and quantified with DKPs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1213506
Entities
People
- Ian P. Jenstrom
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School