Accession Number:

ADA399636

Title:

Directional Distributions and Mean Square Slopes of Surface Waves

Descriptive Note:

Conference proceedings

Corporate Author:

NAVAL RESEARCH LAB STENNIS SPACE CENTER MS OCEANOGRAPHY DIV

Personal Author(s):

• Hwang, Paul A.
• Wang, David W.

Report Date:

2002-01-01

Pagination or Media Count:

9.0

Abstract:

Field observations show that the crosswind component constitutes a significant portion of the ocean surface mean square slope. The average ratio between the crosswind and upwind mean square slope components is 0.88 in slick-covered ocean surfaces. This large crosswind slope component cannot be explained satisfactorily based on our present models of ocean wave directional distributions. Two-dimensional spectral analysis of 3D ocean surface topography reveals that bimodal directional distribution is a common feature for wave components shorter than the peak wavelength. The calculated result of the upwind and crosswind mean square slope components using a bimodal directional distribution function is in very good agreement with field measurements.

Descriptors:

• *SURFACE WAVES
• *CROSSWINDS
• PEAK VALUES
• RATIOS
• SYMPOSIA
• OCEAN WAVES
• OCEAN SURFACE
• TWO DIMENSIONAL
• FIELD TESTS
• TOPOGRAPHY
• SLOPE
• MEAN
• SPECTRUM ANALYSIS
• DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
• DIRECTIONAL

Subject Categories:

• Meteorology
• Physical and Dynamic Oceanography

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE