Abstract
Measurements of surface waves in a strong adverse tidal current were obtained during the SEBEX experiment of 1982. The wave data were collected from a directional wave tracking buoy which followed the local currents. The data, which were collected as the buoy crossed a frontal zone, were analyzed in five consecutive segments following the local topography and the observed flow pattern. The spectral shapes changed, and the wave peak frequencies shifted from segment to segment. The results indicated strong transient wave phenomena due to wave-current interactions.
The local current pattern was evaluated using the measured shift of peak wave frequency in a moving coordinate system. The evaluated flow pattern agreed well with currents obtained from the ship drift during the experiment and computation from the conservation of mass. The current pattern revealed a large velocity gradient in the area. The effects of current on surface waves were computed for each segment and the results were compared with measured data. The flow pattern was also used in a wave-current interaction model to investigate the dynamics of surface waves in a current. The model is linear and takes into account the bottom bathymetry, radiation stresses and the conservation of wave number and wave energy. The results from the model showed some agreement and disagreement with the measured data. Applicability and limitations of the model are discussed. The operation of a freely drifting buoy in a strong current is recommended for future studies of wave-current interaction.
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© 1985 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Lai, R.J., Bachman, R.J., Silver, A.L., Bales, S.L. (1985). Measurement and Analysis of Surface Waves in A Strong Current. In: Toba, Y., Mitsuyasu, H. (eds) The Ocean Surface. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7717-5_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7717-5_21
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-8415-6
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