Philippe Forget

Numerical Wave Modeling in Conditions with Strong Currents: Dissipation, Refraction, and Relative Wind

AbstractCurrents effects on waves have led to many developments in numerical wave modeling over the past two decades, from numerical choices to parameterizations. The performance of numerical models in conditions with strong currents is reviewed here, and observed strong effects of opposed currents and modulations of wave heights by tidal currents in several typical situations are interpreted. For current variations on small scales, the rapid steepening of the waves enhances wave breaking. Using different parameterizations with a dissipation rate proportional to some measure of the wave steepness to the fourth power, the results are very different, none being fully satisfactory, which points to the need for more measurements and further refinements of parameterizations. For larger-scale current variations, the observed modifications of the sea state are mostly explained by refraction of waves over currents and relative wind effects, that is, the wind speed relevant for wave generation is the speed in the ...

Numerical Wave Modeling in Conditions with Strong Currents: Dissipation, Refraction, and Relative Wind. J

AbstractCurrents effects on waves have led to many developments in numerical wave modeling over the past two decades, from numerical choices to parameterizations. The performance of numerical models in conditions with strong currents is reviewed here, and observed strong effects of opposed currents and modulations of wave heights by tidal currents in several typical situations are interpreted. For current variations on small scales, the rapid steepening of the waves enhances wave breaking. Using different parameterizations with a dissipation rate proportional to some measure of the wave steepness to the fourth power, the results are very different, none being fully satisfactory, which points to the need for more measurements and further refinements of parameterizations. For larger-scale current variations, the observed modifications of the sea state are mostly explained by refraction of waves over currents and relative wind effects, that is, the wind speed relevant for wave generation is the speed in the ...

A case study of the mesoscale dynamics in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea: a combined data–model approach

The Northern current is the main circulation feature of the North-Western Mediterranean Sea. While the large-scale to mesoscale variability of the northern current (NC) is well known and widely documented for the Ligurian region, off Nice or along the Gulf of Lions shelf, few is known about the current instabilities and its associated mesoscale dynamics in the intermediate area, off Toulon. Here, we took advantage of an oceanographic cruise of opportunity, the start of a HF radar monitoring programme in the Toulon area and the availability of regular satellite sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a data, to evaluate the realism of a NEMO-based regional high-resolution model and the added value brought by HF radar. The combined analysis of a 1/64° configuration, named GLAZUR64, and of all data sets revealed the occurrence of an anticyclonic coastal trapped eddy, generated inside a NC meander and passing the Toulon area during the field campaign. We show that this anticyclonic eddy is advected downstream along the French Riviera up to the study region and disturbs the Northern current flow. This study aims to show the importance of combining observations and modelling when dealing with mesoscale processes, as well as the importance of high-resolution modelling.

HF Bistatic Ocean Doppler Spectra: Simulation Versus Experimentation

We simulate the Doppler spectra that can be obtained under experimental conditions from bistatic high-frequency oceanic radar. For this, we combine the bistatic second-order theory with the characteristics of the full radar system, such as antenna patterns, range attenuation, and postprocessing of the received signal. Because of the sharp variation of the bistatic geometry at short range, we show that it is crucial to take these effects into account for the correct interpretation of the first-order Bragg peaks. The second-order spectrum is more robust to the system characteristics but can under some conditions also suffer from its artifacts, especially in the vicinity of the secondary peaks. A comparison is made with experimental spectra acquired recently with a Wellen radar system on the Mediterranean coast. The Wave Watch III model is used to simulate directional wave height spectra after a preliminary validation with in situ buoy measurements. Experimental and simulated Doppler spectra agree generally well, except in the case where the directional wave spectrum has little energy in the line of sight of the radar.

Sea Surface Microwave Scattering at Extreme Grazing Angle: Numerical Investigation of the Doppler Shift

We present a numerical investigation of horizontally polarized microwave scattering from 1-D sea surfaces at extreme grazing angles. Rigorous electromagnetic calculations are performed with a specific integral formalism dedicated to grazing angles. Sample sea surfaces are simulated using a classical Pierson-Moskowitz elevation spectrum together with weakly nonlinear hydrodynamic models, namely, the Creamer solution, the “choppy wave model,” and a recent improved version thereof. For this, the electromagnetic integral formalism is extended to surfaces with irregular sampling. For the different nonlinear surface models and assuming no large-scale current, we evidence a dramatic increase, followed by a saturation of the mean Doppler shift in the last few grazing degrees, with a limiting value depending quasi-linearly on the significant wave height. Our numerical investigations confirm that breaking events are not necessary to produce fast scatterers but tend to show that they are necessary to reproduce the elevated level of backscattered power. The results of this study also support the hypothesis that the blow-up of the mean Doppler shift at grazing angle is associated to an electromagnetic sharp edge effect on the large surface crests rather than geometrical shadowing of the troughs.

Noise properties of HF radar measurement of ocean surface currents

High-frequency (HF) radars are commonly used for coastal circulation monitoring. The objective of the study is to assess what is the minimum timescale of variability of the geophysical surface currents that are accessible to the radar measurement given the intrinsic noise of this measurement. Noise properties are derived from the power density spectra (PDSs) of radial current records, which are compared to a model of the PDS of idealized currents contaminated by an additive white noise. The data were collected by two radar systems operating in the Northwestern Mediterranean. Periods of 3 weeks to 7 months are considered. Most of measured currents are affected by a white noise effect. Noise properties vary in time and space and are not specific to a particular radar station or to the radar signal processing method used (beam forming or direction finding). An increase of the noise level reduces the effective temporal resolution of radar-derived currents and then increases the minimum observable timescale of variability of geophysical currents. Our results are consistent with results of comparison found in literature between in situ sensors and radar measurements as well as between two radars operating along a same base line. The study suggests a self-sufficient method, requiring no external data, to estimate the minimum sampling period to consider for getting data sets having a minimized contamination by instrumental noise. This period can also be taken for smoothing or filtering measured currents.

On the Nature of Near-Inertial Oscillations in the Uppermost Part of the Ocean and a Possible Route toward HF Radar Probing of Stratification

AbstractInertial band response of the upper ocean to changing wind is studied both theoretically and by analysis of observations in the northwestern Mediterranean. On the nontraditional f plane, because of the horizontal component of the earth’s rotation for waves of inertial band with frequencies slightly below the local inertial frequency f, there is a waveguide in the mixed layer confined from below by the pycnocline. It is argued that when the stratification is shallow these waves are most easily and strongly excited by varying winds as near-inertial oscillations (NIOs). These motions have been overlooked in previous studies because they are absent under the traditional approximation. The observations that employed buoys with thermistors, ADCPs, and two 16.3-MHz Wellen Radar (WERA) HF radars were carried out in the Gulf of Lion in April–June 2006. The observations support the theoretical picture: a pronounced inertial band response occurs only in the presence of shallow stratification and is confined ...

Monitoring of Surface Ocean Circulation in the Gulf of Lions (North-West Mediterranean Sea) Using WERA HF Radars

This paper presents the main results obtained by a long term experiment using HF radars which was conducted in the eastern part of the Gulf of Lions. The analysis focuses on statistical observations of the North Current, a large scale current vein occurring in the North of the Western Mediterranean, of current motions at diurnal and quasi-inertial periods and of submeso-mesoscale eddies. The study uses high resolution modellings of wind and current fields.

On the Use of X-Band Weather Radar for Wind Field Retrieval in Coastal Zone

AbstractThis paper documents the study of the radar signature of the sea surface on the images collected by an X-band weather radar and its application to remote sensing of the coastal zone. The main radar parameters considered here are the reflectivity factor [which was converted into a normalized radar cross section (NRCS)], the differential reflectivity, and the mean radial velocity. Measurements of the NRCS in the vicinity of an instrumented offshore buoy allowed for identifying its variations with wind speed and relative direction, which are found to be consistent with the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) model and other measurements. A more accurate empirical model for the NRCS is developed. For moderate to strong winds, the mean radial velocity is linearly related to the radial component of the wind speed, showing the potentiality of weather radars to map the radial surface wind speed at the scale of a basin. The influence of surface currents is weak here but should be likely taken into accoun...

L-band doppler radar echoes of the sea surface in coastal zone

A remote sensing experiment using an L-Band radar was conducted in a nearshore environment. The results obtained contribute to identify some aspects of the coherent Lband response of the sea, specified by the Doppler spectrum, in neargrazing conditions. At low winds the radar response is of Bragg type. The asymmetry of Doppler spectra varies with wind direction. Surface current measurements were performed from Doppler spectra and assessed by in situ measurements. At high winds the radar response is of Bragg type for VV polarization but not for HH. We show that fast scatterers detected in HH are linked to the dominant waves, which do not propagate in direction of the wind in the complex coastal area considered. Measurements of attenuation with distance of radar signals are also presented.