Observations of near-surface currents and hydrography in the Connecticut River plume with the surface current and density array

1997 ◽  
Vol 102 (C11) ◽  
pp. 25021-25033 ◽  
Author(s):  
James O'Donnell
Keyword(s):  
Surface Current ◽  
River Plume ◽  
Surface Currents ◽  
Connecticut River ◽  
Near Surface

Comparisons of Scatterometer and TAO Winds Reveal Time-Varying Surface Currents for the Tropical Pacific Ocean*

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 735-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn A. Kelly ◽  
Suzanne Dickinson ◽  
Gregory C. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Surface Current ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Surface Currents ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Divergence Pattern ◽  
Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract The differences between Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) anemometer and QuikSCAT scatterometer winds are analyzed over a period of 3 yr. Systematic differences are expected owing to ocean currents because the anemometer measures absolute air motion, whereas a radar measures the motion of the air relative to the ocean. Monthly averaged collocated wind differences (CWDs) are compared with available near-surface current data at 15-m depth from drifters, at 25-m depth from acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs), and at 10-m depth from current meters and with geostrophic currents at the surface from the TOPEX/Poseidon radar altimeter. Because direct current observations are so sparse, comparisons are also made with climatological currents from these same sources. Zonal CWDs are in good agreement with the zonal current observations, particularly from 2°S to 2°N where there are strong currents and a robust seasonal cycle, with the altimeter-derived anomalous currents giving the best match. At higher latitudes there is qualitative agreement at buoys with relatively large currents. The overall variance of the zonal component of the CWDs is reduced by approximately 25% by subtracting an estimate of the zonal currents. The meridional CWDs are nearly as large as the zonal CWDs but are unpredictable. The mean CWDs show a robust divergence pattern about the equator, which is suggestive of Ekman currents, but with unexpectedly large magnitudes. Coefficients for estimating climatological zonal surface currents from the altimeter at the TAO buoys are tabulated: the amplitudes and phases for the annual and semiannual harmonics, and a linear regression against the Southern Oscillation index, are combined with the mean from the drifter currents. Examples are shown of the application of these estimators to data from SeaWinds on the Midori satellite. These estimators are also useful for deriving air–sea fluxes from TAO winds.

Remote measurement of near-surface currents via wave spectra: currents varying vertically and horizontally

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin K Smeltzer ◽  
Ida Seip Gundersen ◽  
Simen Ådnøy Ellingsen
Keyword(s):  
Surface Current ◽  
Window Size ◽  
Wave Dispersion ◽  
Remote Measurement ◽  
Wave Spectra ◽  
Surface Currents ◽  
Improved Method ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
X Band ◽  
Spatially Varying

<p>Remote sensing of ocean near-surface currents based on measurements of the wave spectrum is an attractive means of mapping currents over a large area simultaneously. The most common wave measurement method involves marine X-band radar (Lund et al. 2015), with optical video measurements using drones more recently being used as an alternative (Streßer, Carrasco & Horstmann, 2017). In both cases, analysis of the wave dispersion within a subset window of the spatial domain is performed to determine the spatially varying near-surface current. An improved method for determining the depth-dependence of sub-surface currents from measured wave spectra was recently developed by our group (Smeltzer et al 2019).</p><p>Our long-term goal is to develop methods whereby the best possible representation of the three-dimensional sub-surface current can be obtained from remote measurement of waves. Methods based on current retrieval from wave spectra must assume that horizontal current variations are slow compared to a typical wavelength, but this is not always so. To resolve horizontal space, retrieved images must be subdivided into windows and the velocity vector at the midpoint is determined from the 3D spectrum of the waves within the window only.</p><p>In this work we examine the dependence of the spatial window size on the results of the current reconstruction. When the window size is decreased, greater spatial resolution is achieved being able to capture currents that vary on a faster horizontal length scale, at the expense of lower resolution in wavevector spectral space which may decrease the accuracy of the reconstructed currents, especially when information as the depth-dependence of the flow is desired. When the window size is larger, the reconstructed current may not be representative of the average current within the window. We present experiments conducted in a laboratory where spatially varying currents and waves of can be well-controlled and measured in situ, a valuable test-bed setup compared to field measurements. We investigate the factors involved which determine the optimal choice of window size.</p><p><strong>References</strong></p><p>Lund, B., et al. A new technique for the retrieval of near-surface vertical current shear from marine X-band radar images. J. Geophys. Res.: Oceans (2015) <strong>120 </strong>8466-8496.</p><p>Smeltzer, B.K., Æsøy, E., Ådnøy, A. and Ellingsen S.Å., An improved method for determining near-surface currents from wave dispersion measurements. J. Geophys. Res.: Oceans. (2019) <strong>124</strong>, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JC015202.</p><p>Streßer, M., Carrasco, R. and Horstmann, J., Video-based estimation of surface currents using a low-cost quadcopter, IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett. (2017) <strong>14 </strong>2027-2031.</p>

scholarly journals Interannual response of global ocean hindcasts to a satellite-based correction of precipitation fluxes

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 611-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Storto ◽  
I. Russo ◽  
S. Masina
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Surface Current ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Surface Salinity ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Convergence Zones ◽  
Circumpolar Current ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Spatially Varying ◽  
The Antarctic

Abstract. We present a methodology to correct precipitation fluxes from the ECMWF atmospheric reanalysis (ERA-Interim) for oceanographic applications. The correction is performed by means of a spatially varying monthly climatological coefficient, computed within the period 1989–2008 by comparison between ERA-Interim and a satellite-based passive microwave precipitation product. ERA-Interim exhibits a systematic over-estimation of precipitation within the inter-tropical convergence zones (up to 3 mm d−1) and under-estimation at mid- and high- latitudes (up to −4 mm d−1). The correction has been validated within eddy-permitting resolution global ocean hindcasts (1989–2009), demonstrating the ability of our strategy in attenuating the 20-yr mean global EMP negative imbalance by 16%, reducing the near-surface salinity fresh bias in the Tropics up to 1 psu and improving the representation of the sea level interannual variability, with an SSH error decrease of 8%. The ocean circulation is also proved to benefit from the correction, especially in correspondence of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, where the error in the near-surface current speed decreases by a 9%. Finally, we show that the correction leads to volume and freshwater transports that better agree with independent estimates.

scholarly journals Characteristic Mode Analysis of surface current distributions on metallic structures exposed to HIRF- and DCI-excitations

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 33-41
Author(s):  
Jan Ückerseifer ◽  
Frank Gronwald
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Surface Current ◽  
Resonance Region ◽  
Mode Analysis ◽  
Surface Currents ◽  
Characteristic Mode ◽  
Metallic Structures ◽  
Current Distributions ◽  
Characteristic Modes ◽  
Physical Quantities

Abstract. This paper treats Characteristic Mode Analyses of three-dimensional test objects in the context of EMC. Based on computed Characteristic Modes and mode-specific physical quantities, series expansions for HIRF- and DCI-induced surface currents are deduced. The contribution of single Characteristic Modes to surface currents at different test frequencies is analyzed. HIRF- and DCI-excitations are compared with regard to their surface current distributions in their resonance region determined by Characteristic Mode Analysis.

Pneumatic and similar breakwaters

1955 ◽  
Vol 231 (1187) ◽  
pp. 457-466 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Small Amplitude ◽  
Wave Motion ◽  
Surface Current ◽  
Water Velocity ◽  
Air Injection ◽  
Air Bubbles ◽  
Surface Currents ◽  
Damping Effect ◽  
Water Jets ◽  
Set Up

The process of calming waves by injecting air bubbles beneath the surface has been known to civil engineers for nearly 50 years. It has been little used for its results have been erratic, its method of working was unknown and its effect could not be predicted. The investigation described in this paper has shown that the surface currents set up by air injection, and the distribution of the water velocity within the currents, can be matched by currents set up by water jets, and that the two currents so matched have almost the same wave-damping effect whether they are set up by water jets or by air. It is concluded that the bubbles as such have at most a very small effect on the wave motion. It is found that waves of small amplitude are stopped in the way predicted theoretically, but that as the amplitude increases the surface current necessary to stop waves of a given length increases.

scholarly journals A New Small Drifter for Shallow Water Basins: Application to the Study of Surface Currents in the Muggia Bay (Italy)

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmelo Nasello ◽  
Vincenzo Armenio
Keyword(s):  
Free Surface ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
Coriolis Force ◽  
Surface Current ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Water Current ◽  
Surface Currents ◽  
Water Basin ◽  
Surface Circulation ◽  
The City

A new small drifter prototype for measuring current immediately below the free surface in a water basin is proposed in this paper. The drifter dimensions make it useful for shallow water applications. The drifter transmits its GPS location via GSM phone network. The drifter was used to study the trajectory of the surface current in the Muggia bay, the latter containing the industrial harbor of the city of Trieste (Italy). The analysis has been carried out under a wide variety of wind conditions. As regards the behavior of the drifter, the analysis has shown that it is well suited to detect the water current since its motion is marginally affected by the wind. The study has allowed detecting the main features of the surface circulation within the Muggia bay under different meteorological conditions. Also, the study has shown that the trajectory of the surface current within the bay is weakly affected by the Coriolis force.

scholarly journals Dynamics of the Land–Sea Breeze System and the Surface Current Response in South-West Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 931
Author(s):  
Syeda Rafiq ◽  
Charitha Pattiaratchi ◽  
Ivica Janeković
Keyword(s):  
Surface Current ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Sea Breeze ◽  
Wind Forcing ◽  
Current Response ◽  
Surface Currents ◽  
The South ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
North East ◽  
South West

The land–sea breeze (LSB) system, driven by the thermal contrast between the land and the adjacent ocean is a widely known atmospheric phenomenon, which occurs in coastal regions globally. South-west Australia experiences a persistent and one of the strongest LSB systems globally with maximum wind speeds associated with the LSB system often exceeding 15 ms−1. In this paper, using field measurements and numerical simulations, we examine: (1) the local winds associated with the land–sea breeze with an emphasis on the ocean; and, (2) the response of the surface currents to the diurnal wind forcing. The measurements indicated that the wind speeds decreased between midnight and 0400 and increased rapidly after 1100, reaching maxima >10 ms−1 around 1800) associated with the sea breeze and decreased to midnight. Wind directions were such that they were blowing from south-east (120°) in the morning and changed to almost southerly (~200°) in the afternoon. Decomposition of the wind record to the diurnal and synoptic components indicated that the diurnal component of winds (i.e., LSB) was oriented along the south-west to north-east axis. However, the stronger synoptic winds were from the south-east to south quadrant and in combination with the LSB, the winds consisted of a strong southerly component. We examined the evolution, horizontal extent, and propagation properties of sea breeze fronts for characteristic LSB cycles and the sea breeze cell propagating offshore and inland. The results indicated that the sea breeze cell was initiated in the morning in a small area, close to 33° S, 115.5° E, with a width of ~25 km and expanded onshore, offshore and alongshore. The sea breeze cell expanded faster (30 kmh−1) and farther (120 km) in the offshore direction than in the onshore direction (10 kmh−1 and 30–40 km). Winds during the LSB cycle followed a counterclockwise rotation that was also reflected in the surface currents. The winds and surface currents rotated anticlockwise with the surface currents responding almost instantaneously to changes in wind forcing but were modified by topography. The diurnal surface currents were enhanced due to the resonance between the LSB forcing and the inertial response.

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