Field Measurements of Surface Waves, Langmuir Circulations and the Ocean Boundary Layer: Data Analysis
Abstract
The primary objective of this proposal is to complete the analysis of the data collected by PI Melville~s group during the pilot an"d main experiments of the Waves, Langmuir Cells and Upper Ocean Boundary Layer DRI conducted in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and pre"pare papers for publication and presentation at scientific meetings. The primary aim of the DRI is to better understand the influenc"e of the coupling between the atmosphere and the ocean on the structure of the ocean boundary layer (OBL) or """"mixed layer"""". Much o"f the structure of the OBL depends on the surface wave field both through the transfer of momentum and energy by breaking and throug"h the so-called vortex force involving the vorticity of the surface currents and the mass transport velocity, or Stokes drift, of th""e surface wave field. Thus, the evolution of the OBL depends notjust on the direct wind forcing, but also on the development of the"" surface wave field. Improved models of the OBL require high quality field measurements of the winds, the waves and the OBL itself."" During the field component of the DRI PI Melville~s group collected data from R/P FLIP, from the Modular Aerial Sensing System (MAS""S) flown on a light twin aircraft (Partenavia P68), and from two Liquid Robotics Wave Gliders instrumented to measure the marine atm"ospheric boundary layer (MABL) and the upper ocean boundary layer. The proposal also contains an option to purchase a Wave Glider Mo"del SV3 with scientific instrumentation to replace an older, no longer supported, Model SV2.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 29, 2017
- Source ID
- N000141713005
Entities
People
- Ken Melville
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, San Diego