Abstract
Wave breaking and precipitation are important processes contributing to the exchange of momentum, heat, water, and gas at the air–sea interface. These processes are also principal generators of high-frequency (over 1 kHz) underwater ambient sound. Furthermore, the bubbles generated by the breaking waves and raindrop splashes can be stirred downward into the ocean mixed layer forming an effective sound absorption layer. When present this layer modifies the ambient sound field, and can thus be detected using passive acoustics. Using the passive sound field as the exploratory tool, more conventional measurements of salinity, temperature, bubbles, wind, and surface waves will be examined. Anomalies in near-surface salinity are explained by acoustically derived rainfall and wind-speed measurements. Acoustically derived rainfall measurements suggest that rain affects the surface wave field. Enhanced injection of bubbles into the mixed layer by rain in the presence of high wind is indicated by changes to the shape of the underwater sound spectrum. [Work supported by ONR Ocean Acoustics and NSF.]
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