Surf Zone Wave and Current Dynamics

Ocean bubble production, persistence and transport results from complex interactions occurring between winds, waves, currents and the presence of biological and anthropogenic surfactants in the upper ocean Thorpe, 1982 Hanson, 1993 Hanson, 1997 Hanson and Phillips, 1999. These processes are amplified in the surf zone as shoaling waves dissipate through interactions with local bathymetry. Existing capabilities to predict nearshore wave dissipation, sea foam and bubble formation, and resulting surf zone optical properties are extremely limited. Our long-term goals are to 1 Maintain a comprehensive long-term measurement program of cross-shelf and surf-zone hydrodynamic forcing including winds, waves, currents, water column properties, surf zone activity and bathymetry 2 Apply this long-term observation set to statistically characterize the effects of hydrodynamic forcing on surf zone optical properties 3 Develop and apply a robust modeling capability to investigate surf zone dynamics including wave energy dissipation and other nonlinear shallow-water wave transformation affects. The results of such a research program will directly facilitate the development of improved nearshore process modeling capabilities.