The influence of environmental parameters on active and maturing oceanic whitecaps

B. Scanlon; B. Ward

doi:10.1002/2015JC011230

The influence of environmental parameters on active and maturing oceanic whitecaps

B. Scanlon, B. Ward

Physics

University of Galway

Research output: Contribution to a Journal (Peer & Non Peer) › Article › peer-review

30 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

High-resolution images of the ocean surface are examined using digital processing, achieving quantifications of actively breaking (W_A), maturing (W_B), and total (W_T = W_A + W_B) whitecaps. The images are selected from two data sets of the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean to sample a maximal range of environmental conditions. A total of 125,860 images were processed and averaged to establish 622 10 min periods. Parameterizing W_A, W_B, and W_T with wind speed achieved modest correlations while also displaying large variabilities. Parameterizing W_T with wind speed and specific Reynolds numbers achieved correlation coefficients ranging from 0.76 to 0.79. The filtering of W_T into its active stage of evolution W_A and subsequent fittings with wind speed and specific Reynolds numbers achieved reduced correlation coefficients ranging from 0.62 to 0.66. We suggest that the contribution of W_B serves to conceal and thus underestimate the variability of actively breaking waves.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3325-3336
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
Volume	121
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JC011230
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2016

Keywords

image processing
ocean whitecapping

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10.1002/2015JC011230

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title = "The influence of environmental parameters on active and maturing oceanic whitecaps",

abstract = "High-resolution images of the ocean surface are examined using digital processing, achieving quantifications of actively breaking (WA), maturing (WB), and total (WT = WA + WB) whitecaps. The images are selected from two data sets of the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean to sample a maximal range of environmental conditions. A total of 125,860 images were processed and averaged to establish 622 10 min periods. Parameterizing WA, WB, and WT with wind speed achieved modest correlations while also displaying large variabilities. Parameterizing WT with wind speed and specific Reynolds numbers achieved correlation coefficients ranging from 0.76 to 0.79. The filtering of WT into its active stage of evolution WA and subsequent fittings with wind speed and specific Reynolds numbers achieved reduced correlation coefficients ranging from 0.62 to 0.66. We suggest that the contribution of WB serves to conceal and thus underestimate the variability of actively breaking waves.",

keywords = "image processing, ocean whitecapping",

author = "B. Scanlon and B. Ward",

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T1 - The influence of environmental parameters on active and maturing oceanic whitecaps

AU - Scanlon, B.

AU - Ward, B.

PY - 2016/5/1

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N2 - High-resolution images of the ocean surface are examined using digital processing, achieving quantifications of actively breaking (WA), maturing (WB), and total (WT = WA + WB) whitecaps. The images are selected from two data sets of the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean to sample a maximal range of environmental conditions. A total of 125,860 images were processed and averaged to establish 622 10 min periods. Parameterizing WA, WB, and WT with wind speed achieved modest correlations while also displaying large variabilities. Parameterizing WT with wind speed and specific Reynolds numbers achieved correlation coefficients ranging from 0.76 to 0.79. The filtering of WT into its active stage of evolution WA and subsequent fittings with wind speed and specific Reynolds numbers achieved reduced correlation coefficients ranging from 0.62 to 0.66. We suggest that the contribution of WB serves to conceal and thus underestimate the variability of actively breaking waves.

AB - High-resolution images of the ocean surface are examined using digital processing, achieving quantifications of actively breaking (WA), maturing (WB), and total (WT = WA + WB) whitecaps. The images are selected from two data sets of the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean to sample a maximal range of environmental conditions. A total of 125,860 images were processed and averaged to establish 622 10 min periods. Parameterizing WA, WB, and WT with wind speed achieved modest correlations while also displaying large variabilities. Parameterizing WT with wind speed and specific Reynolds numbers achieved correlation coefficients ranging from 0.76 to 0.79. The filtering of WT into its active stage of evolution WA and subsequent fittings with wind speed and specific Reynolds numbers achieved reduced correlation coefficients ranging from 0.62 to 0.66. We suggest that the contribution of WB serves to conceal and thus underestimate the variability of actively breaking waves.

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KW - ocean whitecapping

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U2 - 10.1002/2015JC011230

DO - 10.1002/2015JC011230

M3 - Article

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SP - 3325

EP - 3336

JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans

JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans

IS - 5

ER -

The influence of environmental parameters on active and maturing oceanic whitecaps

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Keywords

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