SPACE-TIME CO-EVOLUTION OF THE SURFACE WAVE AND LANGMUIR TURBULENCE FIELDS
Abstract
Abstract The role of Langmuir cells in mediating exchange between the often-violent airsea interface and the more tranquil waters of the upper thermocline remains unclear. There is increasing evidence of active Langmuir activity during periods of rapid sea-state development, a situation not addressed by classical theory. Here we propose to monitor the space-time development of the Langmuir field by deploying three novel instrument systems from the Research Platform FLIP. A 200 kHz phased array Doppler sonar will be used to produce images of acoustic scattering strength and sea surface velocity in 64 beams over a 90 degree sector that extends up to 1.5 km from FLIP. This will enable documentation of the evolving Langmuir field in transient conditions. A Wirewalker vertically-profiling instrument system will be deployed from one of FLIP’s booms to provide CTD and ocean velocity information in the upper 150 m of the sea, profiling through the mixed layer and upper thermocline at ~15 minute intervals with 1m vertical resolution. In a new, development, the Wirewalker will be motorized, enabling it to work from FLIP in calm conditions with no loss of performance. Finally, it is proposed to deploy a ~1km floating optical fiber to measure the sea surface temperature fluctuations induced by Langmuir cells. The fiber will trail downstream of the anchored FLIP, enabling arrange-time view of temperature fluctuations with ~10 m resolution.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141512580
Entities
People
- Jerome A. Smith
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, San Diego