Sergei I. Badulin

Weakly turbulent laws of wind-wave growth

The theory of weak turbulence developed for wind-driven waves in theoretical works and in recent extensive numerical studies concludes that non-dimensional features of self-similar wave growth (i.e. wave energy and characteristic frequency) have to be scaled by internal wave-field properties (fluxes of energy, momentum or wave action) rather than by external attributes (e.g. wind speed) which have been widely adopted since the 1960s. Based on the hypothesis of dominant nonlinear transfer, an asymptotic weakly turbulent relation for the total energy e and a characteristic wave frequency ω* was derived eω 4 g 2 αss = ω 3 .de/dt g 2 ) 1/3 g 2 g2 ) The self-similarity parameter α ss was found in the numerical duration-limited experiments and was shown to be naturally varying in a relatively narrow range, being dependent on the energy growth rate only. In this work, the analytical and numerical conclusions are further verified by means of known field dependencies for wave energy growth and peak frequency downshift. A comprehensive set of more than 20 such dependencies, obtained over almost 50 years of field observations, is analysed. The estimates give α ss very close to the numerical values. They demonstrate that the weakly turbulent law has a general value and describes the wave evolution well, apart from the earliest and full wave development stages when nonlinear transfer competes with wave input and dissipation.

On the irreversibility of internal-wave dynamics due to wave trapping by mean flow inhomogeneities. Part 1. Local analysis

The propagation of guided internal waves on non-uniform large-scale flows of arbitrary geometry is studied within the framework of linear inviscid theory in the WKB-approximation. Our study is based on a set of Hamiltonian ray equations, with the Hamiltonian being determined from the Taylor-Goldstein boundary-value problem for a stratified shear flow. Attention is focused on the fundamental fact that the generic smooth non-uniformities of the large-scale flow result in specific singularities of the Hamiltonian. Interpreting wave packets as particles with momenta equal to their wave vectors moving in a certain force field, one can consider these singularities as infinitely deep potential holes acting quite similarly to the «black holes» of astrophysics

A model of water wave 'horse-shoe' patterns

The work suggests a simple qualitative model of the wind wave ‘horse-shoe’ patterns often seen on the sea surface. The model is aimed at explaining the persistent character of the patterns and their specific asymmetric shape. It is based on the idea that the dominant physical processes are quintet resonant interactions, input due to wind and dissipation, which balance each other. These processes are described at the lowest order in nonlinearity. The consideration is confined to the most essential modes : the central (basic) harmonic and two symmetric oblique satellites, the most rapidly growing ones due to the class I1 instability. The chosen harmonics are phase locked, i.e. all the waves have equal phase velocities in the direction of the basic wave. This fact along with the symmetry of the satellites ensures the quasi-stationary character of the resulting patterns. Mathematically the model is a set of three coupled ordinary differential equations for the wave amplitudes. It is derived starting with the integro-differential formulation of water wave equations (Zakharov’s equation) modified by taking into account small (of order of quartic nonlinearity) non-conservative effects. In the derivation the symmetry properties of the unperturbed Hamiltonian system were used by taking special canonical transformations, which allow one exactly to reduce the Zakharov equation to the model. The study of system dynamics is focused on its qualitative aspects. It is shown that if the non-conservative effects are neglected one cannot obtain solutions describing persistent asymmetric patterns, but the presence of small non-conservative effects changes drastically the system dynamics at large times. The main new feature is attructive equilibria, which are essentially distinct from the conservative ones. For the existence of the attractors a balance between nonlinearity and non-conservative effects is necessary. A wide class of initial configurations evolves to the attractors of the system, providing a likely scenario for the emergence of the long-lived threedimensional wind wave patterns. The resulting structures reproduce all the main features of the experimentally observed horse-shoe patterns. In particular, the model provides the characteristic ‘crescent’ shape of the wave fronts oriented forward and the front-back asymmetry of the wave profiles.

On two approaches to the problem of instability of short-crested water waves

The work is concerned with the problem of the linear instability of symmetric shortcrested water waves, the simplest three-dimensional wave pattern. Two complementary basic approaches were used. The first, previously developed by Ioualalen & Kharif (1993, 1994), is based on the application of the Galerkin method to the set of Euler equations linearized around essentially nonlinear basic states calculated using the Stokes-like series for the short-crested waves with great precision. An alternative analytical approach starts with the so-called Zakharov equation, i.e. an integrodifferential equation for potential water waves derived by means of an asymptotic procedure in powers of wave steepness. Both approaches lead to the analysis of an eigenvalue problem of the type det IA -IS) = 0 where A and B are infinite square matrices. The first approach should deal with matrices of quite general form although the problem is tractable numerically. The use of the proper canonical variables in our second approach turns the matrix B into the unit one, while the matrix A gets a very specific ‘nearly diagonal’ structure with some additional (Hamiltonian) properties of symmetry. This enables us to formulate simple necessary and sufficient a priori criteria of instability and to find instability characteristics analytically through an asymptotic procedure avoiding a number of additional assumptions that other authors were forced to accept. A comparison of the two approaches is carried out. Surprisingly, the analytical results were found to hold their validity for rather steep waves (up to steepness 0.4) for a wide range of wave patterns. We have generalized the classical Phillips concept of weakly nonlinear wave instabilities by describing the interaction between the elementary classes of instabilities and have provided an understanding of when this interaction is essential. The mechanisms of the relatively high stability of shortcrested waves are revealed and explained in terms of the interaction between different classes of instabilities. A helpful interpretation of the problem in terms of an infinite chain of interacting linear oscillators was developed.

Universality of sea wave growth and its physical roots

Modern day studies of wind-driven sea waves are usually focused on wind forcing rather than on the effect of resonant nonlinear wave interactions. The authors assume that these effects are dominating and propose a simple relationship between instant wave steepness and time or fetch of wave development expressed in wave periods or lengths. This law does not contain wind speed explicitly and relies upon this asymptotic theory. The validity of this law is illustrated by results of numerical simulations, in situ measurements of growing wind seas and wind wave tank experiments. The impact of the new vision of sea wave physics is discussed in the context of conventional approaches to wave modeling and forecasting.

On energy balance in wind-driven seas

We show that in the energy balance in the wind-driven sea the process of four-wave nonlinear interaction plays the leading role. This process surpasses competing mechanisms-input energy from wind and dissipation of energy due to white capping at least in order of magnitude. This result is supported by analytical calculations and numerical simulations.

The trapping and vertical focusing of internal waves in a pycnocline due to the horizontal inhomogeneities of density and currents

This paper studies the propagation of a wave packet in regions where the central packet frequency ω is close to the local maximum of the effective Vaisala frequency N f ( z ) = N ( z )/[1 − k · U ( z )/ω], where k is the central wavevector of the packet and U is the mean current with a vertical velocity shear. The wave approaches the layer ω = N f m asymptotically, i.e. trapping of the wave takes place. The trapping of guided internal waves is investigated within the framework of the linearized equations of motion of an incompressible stratified fluid in the WKB approximation, with viscosity, spectral bandwidth of the packet, vertical shear of the mean current and non-stationarity of the environment taken into account. As the packet approaches the layer of trapping, the growth of the wavenumber k is restricted only by possible wave-breaking and viscous dissipation. The growth of k is accompanied by the transformation of the vertical structure of internal-wave modes. The wave motion focuses at a certain depth determined by the maximum effective Vaisala frequency N f m . The trapping of the wave packet results in power growth of the wave amplitude and steepness. At larger times the viscous dissipation becomes a dominating factor of evolution as a result of strong slowing down of the packet motion. The role of trapping in the energy exchange of internal waves, currents and small-scale turbulence is discussed.

Ocean swell within the kinetic equation for water waves

Abstract. Results of extensive simulations of swell evolution within the duration-limited setup for the kinetic Hasselmann equation for long durations of up to 2  ×  106 s are presented. Basic solutions of the theory of weak turbulence, the so-called Kolmogorov–Zakharov solutions, are shown to be relevant to the results of the simulations. Features of self-similarity of wave spectra are detailed and their impact on methods of ocean swell monitoring is discussed. Essential drop in wave energy (wave height) due to wave–wave interactions is found at the initial stages of swell evolution (on the order of 1000 km for typical parameters of the ocean swell). At longer times, wave–wave interactions are responsible for a universal angular distribution of wave spectra in a wide range of initial conditions. Weak power-law attenuation of swell within the Hasselmann equation is not consistent with results of ocean swell tracking from satellite altimetry and SAR (synthetic aperture radar) data. At the same time, the relatively fast weakening of wave–wave interactions makes the swell evolution sensitive to other effects. In particular, as shown, coupling with locally generated wind waves can force the swell to grow in relatively light winds.

Numerical Verification of Weakly Turbulent Law of Wind Wave Growth

Numerical solutions of the kinetic equation for deep water wind waves (the Hasselmann equation) for various functions of external forcing are analyzed. For wave growth in spatially homogeneous sea (the so-called duration-limited case) the numerical solutions are related with approximate self-similar solutions of the Hasselmann equation. These self-similar solutions are shown to be considered as a generalization of the classic Kolmogorov-Zakharov solutions in the theory of weak turbulence. Asymptotic law of wave growth that relates total wave energy with net total energy input (energy flux at high frequencies) is proposed. Estimates of self-similarity parameter that links energy and spectral flux and can be considered as an analogue of Kolmogorov-Zakharov constants are obtained numerically.

Electromagnetic wave scattering from the sea surface in the presence of wind wave patterns

The study is concerned with electromagnetic wave (EM) scattering by a random sea surface in the presence of coherent wave patterns. The coherent patterns are understood in a broad sense as the existence of certain dynamical coupling between linear Fourier components of the water wave field. We show that the presence of weakly nonlinear wave patterns can significantly change the EM scattering compared to the case of a completely random wave field. Generalizing the Random Phase Approximation (RPA) we suggest a new paradigm for EM scattering by a random sea surface. The specific analysis carried out in the paper synthesizes the small perturbation method for EM scattering and a weakly nonlinear approach for wind wave dynamics. By investigating, in detail, two examples of a random sea surface composed of either Stokes waves or horse-shoe (‘crescent-shaped’) patterns the mechanism of the pattern effect on scattering is revealed. Each Fourier harmonic of the scattered EM field is found to be a sum of contributions due to different combinations of wave field harmonics. Among these ‘partial scatterings’ there are phase-dependent ones and, therefore, the intensity of the resulting EM harmonic is sensitive to the phase relations between the wind wave harmonics. The effect can be interpreted as interference of partial scatterings due to the co-existence of several phase-related periodic scattering grids. A straightforward generalization of these results enables us to obtain, for a given wind wave field and an incident EM field, an a priori estimate of whether the effects due to the patterns are significant and the commonly used RPA is inapplicable. When the RPA is inapplicable, we suggest its natural generalization by re-defining the statistical ensemble for water surface. First, EM scattering by an ‘elementary’ constituent pattern should be considered. Each such scattering is affected by the interference because the harmonics comprising the pattern are dynamically linked. Then, ensemble averaging, which takes into account the distribution of the pattern parameters (based on the assumption that the phases between the patterns are random), should be carried out. It is shown that, generally, this interference does not vanish for any statistical ensemble due to dynamical coupling between water wave harmonics. The suggested RPA generalization takes into account weak non-Gaussianity of water wave field m contrast to the traditional RPA which ignores it.