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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2018

Effect of Gravity Waves from Small Islands in the Southern Ocean on the Southern Hemisphere Atmospheric Circulation

The effect of small islands in the Southern Ocean on the atmospheric circulation in the Southern Hemisphere is considered with a series of simulations using the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Chemistry-Climate Model in which the gravity wave stress generated by these islands is increased to resemble observed values. The enhanced gravity wave drag leads to a 2 K warming of the springtime polar stratosphere, partially ameliorating biases in this region. Resolved wave drag declines in the stratospheric region in which the added orographic gravity waves deposit their momentum, such that changes in gravity waves are partially compensated by changes in resolved waves, though resolved wave drag increases further poleward. The orographic drag from these islands has impacts for surface climate, as biases in tropospheric jet position are also partially ameliorated. These results suggest that these small islands are likely contributing to the missing drag near 60 degrees S in the upper stratosphere evident in many data assimilation products.

chemistry-climate models↗
NASA NTRS1994

Evaporation and solar irradiance as regulators of sea surface temperature in annual and interannual changes

Seven years of net surface solar irradiance (S) derived from cloud information provided by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) and 4 years of surface latent heat flux (E) derived from the observations of the special sensor microwave imager (SSM/I) were used to examine the relation between surface heat fluxes and sea surface temperature (T(sub s)) in their global geographical distribution, seasonal cycle, and interannual variation. The relations of seasonal changes imply that evaporation cooling is significant over most of the ocean and that solar heating is the main drive for the change of T(sub s) away from the equatorial wave guide where ocean dynamics may be more important. However, T(sub s) is not the most direct and significant factor in the seasonal changes of S and E over most of the ocean; the solar incident angle may be more important to S, and wind speed and air humidity are found to correlate better with E. Significant local correlations between anomalies of T(sub s) and S and between anomalies of T(sub s) and E are found in the central equatorial Pacific; both types of correlation are negative. The influence of ocean dynamics in changing T(sub s) in the tropical ocean cannot be ignored.

Liu, W. Timothy↗
NASA NTRS2018

Implementation of the University of Miami Wave Model (UMWM) into the NASA/GMAO Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS)

Wind generated waves are integral element in air-sea interactions and affect exchange of momentum, heat, water, gases and production of marine aerosol. Motivated by the need to resolve the air-sea interface we have implemented the University of Miami Wave model (UMWM) into the NASA/GMAO Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS). The implementation of the wave model in GEOS aimed to facilitate coupling with the atmosphere and ocean model components with minimal changes to the existing system, while at the same time ensure correctness of the predicted wave energy spectrum and wave diagnostics. Here we describe the implementation of the GEOS/UMWM system and show results from model experiments and verifications. This work is a step toward development of a coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean GEOS system.

Darmenov, Anton↗
NASA NTRS1985

Simulations of SAR wave spectra using high spectral resolution estimates from the SCR and ROWS instruments

A numerical model for predicting the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image of a moving ocean surface is described, and results are presented for two SIR-B data sets collected off the coast of Chile. Wave height spectra measured by the NASA radar ocean wave spectrometer (ROWS) and surface contour radar (SCR) were used as inputs to this model, and results are compared with actual SIR-B image spectra from orbits 91 and 106.

Lyzenga, D.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Observing Tsunamis in the Ionosphere Using Ground Based GPS Measurements

Ground-based Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements of ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) show variations consistent with atmospheric internal gravity waves caused by ocean tsunamis following recent seismic events, including the Tohoku tsunami of March 11, 2011. We observe fluctuations correlated in time, space, and wave properties with this tsunami in TEC estimates processed using JPL's Global Ionospheric Mapping Software. These TEC estimates were band-pass filtered to remove ionospheric TEC variations with periods outside the typical range of internal gravity waves caused by tsunamis. Observable variations in TEC appear correlated with the Tohoku tsunami near the epicenter, at Hawaii, and near the west coast of North America. Disturbance magnitudes are 1-10% of the background TEC value. Observations near the epicenter are compared to estimates of expected tsunami-driven TEC variations produced by Embry Riddle Aeronautical University's Spectral Full Wave Model, an atmosphere-ionosphere coupling model, and found to be in good agreement. The potential exists to apply these detection techniques to real-time GPS TEC data, providing estimates of tsunami speed and amplitude that may be useful for future early warning systems.

total electron content (TEC)↗
NASA NTRS2009

Momentum Flux Estimates for South Georgia Island Mountain Waves in the Stratosphere Observed via Satellite

We show high-resolution satellite observations of mountain wave events in the stratosphere above South Georgia Island in the remote southern Atlantic Ocean and compute the wave momentum fluxes for these events. The fluxes are large, and they imply important drag forces on the circulation. Small island orography is generally neglected in mountain wave parameterizations used in global climate models because limited model resolution treats the grid cell containing the island as ocean rather than land. Our results show that satellite observations can be used to quantitatively constrain mountain wave momentum fluxes, and they suggest that mountain waves from island topography may be an important missing source of drag on the atmospheric circulation.

SOUTH GEORGIA ISLANDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

2024 OES-Environmental 2024 State of the Science Report, Chapter 1: Marine Renewable Energy and Ocean Energy Systems-Environmental

For many countries, marine renewable energy (MRE) is the most recent entry into their renewable energy portfolio. MRE involves the generation of energy from the movement of seawater including tides, waves, and persistent ocean currents, as well as from the gradients of temperature and salinity in the oceans. Some countries also include energy generation from the open waters of large rivers as part of MRE. Each MRE resource requires a different type of device to harvest that energy, placed in the appropriate portion and depth of the ocean or large river and secured to the seabed either by weight or by anchors. At full scale, these devices are large; Figure 1.1 puts the size of these devices in the context of other technologies and well-known landmarks for scale. The MRE devices generally represent the largest devices available.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dynamic Mooring Field Experiment and Design of a Wave Energy Converter Platform Test System

Abstract This study evaluated a multi-catenary spread mooring system design of a mobile ocean test berth for wave energy converters (WECs), the Ocean Sentinel (OS) instrumentation buoy, through dynamic simulation, numerical analysis, and comparison with measured field motion data of the OS off the OR coast. First, the accuracy of the numerical employed model based on a fully-coupled method of the OS and its mooring lines was validated by comparing predicted mooring tensions to the field measurements. Then, the anchor movability, fatigue damage, and extreme mooring tension of the OS mooring system were analyzed to assess survivability. Field test results show that the numerical model provided accurate predictions of mooring tensions even under environmental conditions of strong wind, current, and waves. Factors affecting the accuracy are discussed. One mooring anchor was shown to have moved significantly during the ocean field test. Mooring fatigue damage was calculated for different levels of sea states. Design strengths of the mooring lines were calculated and analyzed.

Engineering↗
NASA NTRS2022

Spectral Responses of the PACE OCI Short-Wave Infrared Detection Assembly

The Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) to go on the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecology (PACE) Earth-observing satellite has a Short-wave infrared (SWIR) Detection Assembly (SDA). This SDA is used to measure upwelling radiation in seven discrete bands from 940 to 2260 nm. There are redundant measurements of each band for a total of 32 physical channels, which includes optical components through to detection. The relative spectral response (RSR) is measured for each channel, which is needed when accounting for the spectral distribution of sensed radiance. From the RSR, single-value performance metrics are computed including the center wavelength, the full width at half of the maximum (FWHM), and the full width at 1% of the maximum (FW1P). Besides in-band responses, the out-of-band rejection ratio (OOBRR) is also calculated for each of the channels, which is a measure of the sensitivity outside the band of interest. We find that all 32 SDA detection channels meet the spectral response requirements at the qualification temperatures at which tests were conducted.

PACE↗
NASA NTRS1976

Radar imaging of ocean surface patterns

The paper presents some examples of imaging radar oceanographic observations and discusses physical phenomena on the surface that may cause the radar image. The different ocean scattering theories are briefly discussed, including the tangent plane model, the Bragg-Rice model, and the Rayleigh scattering model. All but one of the images presented were obtained with an L-band HH-polarized radar; they include deep-ocean swells, coastal swells, wave refractions, internal waves, ship wakes, abrupt transitions in open-ocean surface roughness, surface slicks, island wind shadowing, and currents. Analyses are shown to suggest that the primary source of the L-band imagery of ocean surface patterns is the variation of small-scale surface roughness and local tilt angle. It is also noted that surface irregularities behave as isotropic scatterers for a radar wavelength of 25 cm.

Brown, W. E., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The Shuttle era - A challenge to the earth scientist

Satellite observations of large-scale earth features and phenomena, with either instruments or astronauts, are discussed on the basis of earlier experience (mainly Skylab). Off-nadir views and photographs by astronauts have provided valuable supplements to instrument nadir views, providing cross-checks through remote sensing at different angles, different altitudes, and in different seasons. New information on plate tectonics, global cooling/drying trends, global oceanographic data (changing positions of major ocean current patterns, evolution of warm and cold eddies and their relation to sea temperatures and concentrations of marine fauna, location of internal sea waves, interactions between ocean currents and atmosphere, plankton blooms), storm development, snow cover patterns, lake and sea ice growth, sand-dune patterns, desert storms blown out to sea, effects of grazing and swidden agriculture, and other earth features and phenomena are surveyed.

Muehlberger, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Variability in Ozone in the Tropical Tropopause Region from the 1998-2000 SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes) Data

The first view of stratospheric and tropospheric ozone variability in the southern hemisphere tropics is provided by a 3-year, 10-site record of ozone soundings from the Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes (SHADOZ) network. Observations covering 1998-2000 were made over Ascension Island; Nairobi, Kenya; Irene, South Africa; Reunion Island; Watukosek, Java; Fiji; Tahiti; American Samoa; San Cristobal, Galapagos; Natal, Brazil. Taking the TTL (tropical tropopause layer) as the region between 12 and 17 km, we examine ozone variability in this region on a week-to-week and seasonal basis. The TTL layer is lower in September-October-November than in March-April-May, when ozone is a minimum at most SHADOZ stations. A zonal wave-one pattern is apparent in column-integrated TTL ozone because ozone mixing ratios are greater over the Atlantic and adjacent continents than over the Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean. The wave-one persists all year with varying magnitude and appears to be due to general circulation - with subsidence over the Atlantic and frequent deep convection over the Pacific and Indian Ocean. The variability of deep convection - most prominent at Java, Fiji, Samoa and Natal - is explored in time-vs-altitude ozone curtains. Stratospheric incursions into the troposphere are most prominent in soundings at Irene and Reunion Island.

Thompson, Anne M.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Bathymetric Effects on a Tropical Cyclone Wave Field at Landfall

On 26 August 1998, the NASA Scanning Radar Altimeter (SRA) flew aboard one of the WP-3D hurricane research aircraft to document the sea surface directional wave spectrum in the region between Charleston, SC and Cape Hatteras, NC, as Bonnie, a large Category 3 hurricane, was making landfall near Wilmington, NC. Two days earlier, the SRA had documented the wave field spatial variation in open water when Hurricane Bonnie was 400 km east of Abaco Island, Bahamas. Bonnie was similar in size during the two flights, but the maximum speed in the NOAA Hurricane Research Division surface wind analysis was 15% lower prior to landfall (39 m/s) than it had been in the open ocean (46 m/s). This was compensated for by its faster movement prior to landfall (9.5 m/s) than when it was encountered in the open ocean (5 m/s). The slower movement matched the group velocity of waves of 65 m length, so waves at the peak of the spectrum outdistanced the storm as soon as they were generated. The higher translation speed prior to landfall matched the group velocity of waves of 230 m length, significantly increasing the effective fetch and duration of waves near the peak of the spectrum which propagated in the direction of the storm track. The open ocean wave height variation indicated that Hurricane Bonnie would have produced waves of 11 m significant wave height on the shore northeast of Wilmington had it not been for the continental shelf. The bathymetry distributed the steepening and breaking process across the shelf so that the wavelength and wave height were reduced gradually as the shore was approached. The wave height 5 km from shore was about 4 m.

Wright, C. W.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Oceanic fronts shape hemispheric contrasts in polar stratospheric extremes

Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSWs) and Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs) exhibit striking inter-hemispheric asymmetries: SSWs are frequent in the Arctic but rare in the Antarctic, while PSCs are more persistent in the Antarctic. Although land–sea thermal contrast and orography (LSCO) have been traditionally invoked to explain these asymmetries, here we show using semi-idealized model experiments that even though LSCO strongly impacts the mean state of SSWs and PSCs, it alone cannot fully account for the observed differences. Using model experiments, we reveal that midlatitude oceanic sea surface temperature (SST) fronts represent a crucial supporting additional driver of the hemispheric stratospheric differences. Like LSCO, SST fronts enhance stratospheric convergence of resolved waves, strengthening the Brewer–Dobson Circulation and inducing high-latitude adiabatic warming. This warming significantly enhances Arctic SSW frequency and strongly suppresses PSC formation. Sub-grid-scale non–resolved wave forcing modulates the stratospheric resolved waves effect. The oceanic impact is dominated by North Pacific SST fronts. Our results highlight the indispensable role of SST fronts in shaping Arctic–Antarctic asymmetries in stratospheric dynamics and associated extremes.

Omrani, Nour-Eddine [Univ. of Bergen (Norway)] (OR↗
NASA NTRS2001

Hurricane Directional Wave Spectrum Spatial Variation at Landfall

On 26 August 1998, the SRA at 2.2 km height documented the directional wave spectrum in the region between Charleston, SC, and Cape Hatteras, NC, as Hurricane Bonnie was making landfall near Wilmington, NC. The storm was similar in size during the two flights, but the maximum speed in the NOAA Hurricane Research Division surface wind analysis was 15% lower prior to landfall (39 m/s) than it had been in the open ocean (46 m/s). This was compensated for by its faster movement prior to landfall (9.5 m/s) than when it was encountered in the open ocean (5 m/s), significantly increasing the effective fetch and duration of waves near the peak of the spectrum which propagated in the direction of the storm track. The open ocean wave height variation indicated that Hurricane Bonnie would have produced waves of 11 m significant wave height on the shore northeast of Wilmington had it not been for the continental shelf. The bathymetry distributed the steepening and breaking process across the shelf so that the wavelength and wave height were reduced gradually as the shore was approached. The wave height 5 km from shore was about 4 in.

Walsh, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Observing Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Caused by Tsunamis Using GPS TEC Measurements

Ground-based Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements of ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) show variations consistent with atmospheric internal gravity waves caused by ocean tsunamis following two recent seismic events: the American Samoa earthquake of September 29, 2009, and the Chile earthquake of February 27, 2010. Fluctuations in TEC correlated in time, space, and wave properties with these tsunamis were observed in TEC estimates processed using JPL's Global Ionospheric Mapping Software. These TEC estimates were band-pass filtered to remove ionospheric TEC variations with wavelengths and periods outside the typical range of internal gravity waves caused by tsunamis. Observable variations in TEC appear correlated with the tsunamis in certain locations, but not in others. Where variations are observed, the typical amplitude tends to be on the order of 1% of the background TEC value. Variations with amplitudes ~ 0.1 - 0.2 TECU are observable with periods and timing affiliated with the tsunami. These observations are compared to estimates of expected tsunami-driven TEC variations produced by Embry Riddle Aeronautical University's Spectral Full Wave Model, an atmosphere-ionosphere coupling model, and found to be in good agreement in some locations, though there are cases when the model predicts an observable tsunami-driven signature and none is observed. These TEC variations are not always seen when a tsunami is present, but in these two events the regions where a strong ocean tsunami was observed did coincide with clear TEC observations, while a lack of clear TEC observations coincided with smaller tsunami amplitudes. There exists the potential to apply these detection techniques to real-time GPS TEC data, providing estimates of tsunami speed and amplitude that may be useful for early warning systems.

Galvan, David A.↗