Variation of Short-Scale Waves in the Shoaling Zone
Abstract
LONG -TERM GOAL. Goals are to provide measurements of short-scale sea surface roughness in the shoaling wave zone, determine the correlation between this short-scale slope variance and surface wind stress, and finally suggest the ramifications to microwave remote sensing in the shoaling zone. SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES. Primary objective is to determine the characteristics of near-vertical incidence millimeter-wave radar backscatter over the surf zone and out to sea using aircraft radar measurements collected from the NOAA Long-EZ. This radar information relates directly to an integration of the sea surface spectrum over wave scales from swell down to 1 cm but with heavy weighting towards horizontal scales less than a few meters. These short-scale waves are known to be well-coupled to the wind stress. We have also shown success in measuring the slopes of the intermediate scale waves using a three laser ranging system aboard(see the report of T. Crawford). Thus our objectives have expanded to addressing the correlation between intermediate and short scale wave characteristics and the atmospheric turbulence data collected using the LongEZ.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA636672
Entities
People
- Douglas Vandemark
Organizations
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration