Long-period Ocean Waves Research Articles

Relation between ocean wave activity and wavefield of the ambient noise recorded in northern Poland

The temporal and spatial variations of the wavefield of ambient noise recorded at ‘13 BB star’ array located in northern Poland were related to the activity of high, long-period ocean waves generated by strong storms in the Northern Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Northern Pacific Ocean between 2013 and 2016. Once pre-processed, the raw noise records in time- and frequency-domains, and spectral analysis and high-resolution three-component beamforming techniques were applied to the broadband noise data. The power spectral density was analysed to quantify the noise wavefield, observing the primary (0.04–0.1 Hz) microseism peak and the splitting of the secondary microseism into long-period (0.2–0.3 Hz) and short-period (0.3–0.8 Hz) peaks. The beam-power analysis allowed to determine the changes in the azimuth of noise sources and the velocity of surface waves. The significant wave height, obtained by combining observed data and forecast model results for wave height and period, was analysed to characterise ocean wave activity during strong storms. The comparison of wave activity and beam-power led to distinguish the sources of Rayleigh and Love waves associated to long-period microseisms, of short-period microseisms, and of primary microseisms. High, long-period ocean waves hitting the coastline were found to be the main source of noise wavefield. The source of long-period microseisms was correlated to such waves in the open sea able to reach the shore, whereas the source of primary microseisms was tied to waves interacting with the seafloor very close to the coastlines. The source of short-period microseisms was attributed to strong storms constituted of short-period waves not reaching the coast.

Validation of Sentinel-3A/3B and Jason-3 Altimeter Wind Speeds and Significant Wave Heights Using Buoy and ASCAT Data

This study validated wind speed (WS) and significant wave height (SWH) retrievals from the Sentinel-3A/3B and Jason-3 altimeters for the period of data beginning 31 October 2019 (to 18 September 2019 for Jason-3) using moored buoy data and satellite Meteorological Operational Satellite Program (MetOp-A/B) Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) data. The spatial and temporal scales of the collocated data were 25 km and 30 min, respectively. The statistical metrics of root mean square error (RMSE), bias, correlation coefficient (R), and scatter index (SI) were used to validate the WS and SWH accuracy. Validation of WS against moored buoy data indicated errors of 1.19 m/s, 1.13 m/s and 1.29 m/s for Sentinel-3A, Sentinel-3B and Jason-3, respectively. The accuracy of Sentinel-3A/3B WS is better than that of Jason-3. All three altimeters underestimated WS slightly in comparison with the buoy data. Errors in WS at different speeds or SWHs increased slightly as WS or SWH increased. Over time, the accuracy of the Jason-3 altimeter-derived WS improved, whereas that of Sentinel-3A showed no temporal dependence. The WSs of the three altimeters were compared with ASCAT wind data for validation purposes over the global ocean without in situ measurements. On average, the WSs of the three altimeters were lower in comparison with the ASCAT data. The accuracy of the three altimeters was found to be consistent and stable at low/medium speeds but it decreased when the WS exceeded 15 m/s. Validations of SWH against buoy wave data indicated that the accuracy of Jason-3 SWH was better than that of Sentinel-3A/3B. However, the accuracy of all three altimeters decreased when the SWH exceeded 4 m. The accuracy of Sentinel-3A and Jason-3 SWH was temporally stable, whereas that of Sentinel-3B SWH improved over time. Analyses of SWH accuracy as a function of wave period showed that the Jason-3 altimeter was better than the Sentinel-3A/3B altimeters for long-period ocean waves. Generally, the accuracy of WS and SWH data derived by the Sentinel-3A/3B and Jason-3 altimeters satisfies their mission requirements. Overall, the accuracy of WS (SWH) derived by Sentinel-3A/3B (Jason-3) is better than that retrieved by Jason-3 (Sentinel-3A/3B).

Long-period seafloor seismology and deformation under ocean waves

Abstract The deformation of the seafloor under loading by long-period ocean waves raises vertical component noise levels at the deep seafloor by 20 to 30 dB above noise levels at good continental sites in the band from 0.001 to 0.04 Hz. This noise substantially limits the detection threshold and signal-to-noise ratio for long-period phases of earthquakes observed by seafloor seismometers. Borehole installation significantly improves the signal-to-noise ratio only if the sensor is installed at more than 1 km below the seafloor because the deformation signal decays slowly with depth. However, the vertical-component deformation signal can be predicted and suppressed using seafloor measurements of pressure fluctuations observed by differential pressure gauges. The pressure observations of ocean waves are combined with measurements of the transfer function between vertical acceleration and pressure to predict the vertical component deformation signal. Subtracting the predicted deformation signal from pressure observations can reduce vertical component noise levels near 0.01 Hz by more than 25 dB, significantly improving signal-to-noise ratios for long-period phases. There is also a horizontal-component deformation signal but it is smaller than the vertical-component signal and only significant in shallow water (<1-km deep). The amplitude of the deformation signal depends both on the long-period ocean-wave spectrum and the elastic-wave velocities in the oceanic crust. It is largest at sedimented sites and in shallow water.

Coupling between the ocean and an ice shelf

The possibility of long-period ocean waves coupling to an ice shelf is investigated. A thick elastic plate model is used for the ice shelf with comparisons made to the simpler thin-plate model. The strain set up on the ice shelf by a normally incident single frequency ocean wave is calculated by completely solving the equations governing the velocity potential for such a system. In the absence of measurements on an ice shelf, existing measurements of long-period strain on an ice tongue are used to estimate the required incident amplitude in the open water to induce the observed oscillations. It is found that the height of seas required indicates that ocean wave driving is a plausible forcing mechanism for observed oscillations.

Coupling between the ocean and an ice shelf

The possibility of long-period ocean waves coupling to an ice shelf is investigated. A thick elastic plate model is used for the ice shelf with comparisons made to the simpler thin-plate model. The strain set up on the ice shelf by a normally incident single frequency ocean wave is calculated by completely solving the equations governing the velocity potential for such a system. In the absence of measurements on an ice shelf, existing measurements of long-period strain on an ice tongue are used to estimate the required incident amplitude in the open water to induce the observed oscillations. It is found that the height of seas required indicates that ocean wave driving is a plausible forcing mechanism for observed oscillations.

High-Height Long-Period Ocean Waves Generated by a Severe Storm in the Northeast Pacific Ocean during February 1983

Abstract Unusally severe storms occurred in the northeast Pacific Ocean between January and March 1983, and waves from these storms caused extensive erosion and damage along the U.S. west coast. Wave conditions as measured by eight data buoys are described for an intense storm of northern California with significant wave heights up to 12.9 m that occurred during February 1983. A very uncommon feature of the wave spectra is considerable energy at long periods of 20 to 25 s. Long period waves were generated west of the northern buoys and propagated as high swell to the southern buoys. Swell propagation was consistent with classical wave theory. The ability to quantitatively identify high swell at northern buoys prior to its arrival at buoys off southern California may have real-time swell forecast applications. Differences between measurements and numerical wave model forecasts and hindcasts indicate the value of the wave data and areas where numerical modeling of such storm-generated waves could be improved.

Operational Experience with Floating Breakwaters

In the past few years floating breakwaters used for the protection of marina facilities have found increasing application. They provide a cost-effective solution at many potential sites and alleviate the environmental damage associated with more traditional breakwater construction. Operational experience has shown that these devices are effective in reducing incident wave heights where they are not subjected to long-period ocean waves. Experience also indicates suitable construction materials. Problems have developed in providing satisfactory connections between segments, but the large anchoring forces that were originally expected have not materialized in field measurements.

Attenuation of swell by sea ice

A mechanism of steady state creep is proposed to describe the attenuation rate of long-period ocean waves in fields of sea ice. It is shown that this mechanism fits the existing wave observations of Robin [1963] and Wadhams [1973] provided a Glen-type flow law is employed with an exponent n = 3 and a flow law parameter 〈B〉 similar to the value for polycrystalline ice near the melting point.