Understanding the Dynamics of Shallow-Water Oceanographic Moorings
Abstract
The objective is to improve our numerical techniques for predicting the dynamics of shallow-water oceanographic moorings by investigating two separate systems. The first system is an instrumented catenary surface mooring which has part of its mooring chain lying on the sea bottom. This is a standard configuration for deploying current meters along the Continental Margin where the water depth is less than 200 m. Specifically, we address the problem of the nonlinear interaction between the mooring line and the sea bottom. The results will be used to develop realistic boundary conditions that improve the stability of numerical simulations of slack shallow-water moorings during storm conditions. Present numerical simulations break down when the heave motion of the surface buoy becomes large. The second system under investigation is a taut subsurface mooring made with compliant rope such as that used for deploying mines near beaches. We will verify the numerical simulation, developed at MIT, that predicts free-surface patterns due to buoy motion. Once the numerical code is verified, we will use the simulation together with wave data from the MISE experiment to predict actual freesurface patterns, which can be compared to radar signals.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA537658
Entities
People
- Mark A. Grosenbaugh
Organizations
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution