EGU2020-12912
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-12912
EGU General Assembly 2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Ocean surface wave dynamics, energy and momentum air-sea transfer under a variety of wind and waves conditions

Francisco J. Ocampo-Torres1, Pedro Osuna1, Nicolas Rascle1, Hector Garcia-Nava2, Carlos F. Herrera-Vazquez1, Daniel Pelaez-Zapata1, and Lucia Robles-Diaz1
Francisco J. Ocampo-Torres et al.
  • 1CICESE, Physical Oceanography, Ensenada, Mexico
  • 2University of Baja California, Ensenada, Mexico (hector.garcia.nava@uabc.edu.mx)

Direct measurements have been conducted from a spar buoys deployed in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the vicinity of Todos Santos Island, offshore Ensenada BC, Mexico, in order to better understand ocean surface wave modulated processes under a variety of oceanographic and meteorological conditions. Full ocean surface wave directional spectrum is estimated from sea surface elevation data acquired with an array of capacitance wires, to represent directional spectrum as a function of frequency and direction, as well as a function of the wave number components Kx and Ky. Momentum transfer between ocean and the atmosphere is calculated directly through the eddy correlation method applied to wind velocity components acquired with a sonic anemometer. Momentum transfer variability is analysed to study its dependance on the surface wave conditions, with special emphasis on mixed sea states. Comparison between single peak spectra results with those cases where bi-modal spectra were present are performed in order to detect wind stress variability effects. Ocean-atmosphere transfer of momentum is studied and explained in terms of the shape and evolution of the surface wave spectrum. This research is funded by SENER-CONACYT 249795 and 201441 projects.

How to cite: Ocampo-Torres, F. J., Osuna, P., Rascle, N., Garcia-Nava, H., Herrera-Vazquez, C. F., Pelaez-Zapata, D., and Robles-Diaz, L.: Ocean surface wave dynamics, energy and momentum air-sea transfer under a variety of wind and waves conditions, EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4–8 May 2020, EGU2020-12912, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-12912, 2020

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