An Application of Ocean Wave-Current Refraction to the Gulf Stream Using SEASAT SAR Data

• Main Author: Byman, Michael W.
• Other Authors: NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1989
• Subjects: Physical and Dynamic Oceanography; *OCEAN WAVES; *ITERATIONS; *OCEAN CURRENTS; POSITION(LOCATION); THESES; SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR; SPECTRA; CORRELATION; PROFILES; REMOTE DETECTORS; INVERSION; BEHAVIOR; TOMOGRAPHY; REFRACTION; OCEANS; GEOGRAPHIC AREAS; GULF STREAM; DEEP WATER; WAVES; OPEN WATER; PROPAGATION; ANTARCTIC REGIONS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; POLAR REGIONS; Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA216769; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA216769

When ocean waves in deep water interact with a current, the direction of propagation and characteristics of the waves such as height and length are affected. Swell in the open ocean can undergo significant refraction as it passes through major current systems like the Gulf Stream or Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Remote sensing techniques such as synthetic aperture radars (SAR) have the potential to detect wave systems over a wide geographical area. Combining a model for wave refraction in the presence of currents with SAR measurements, the inverse problem of using the measured wave data can be solved to determine the direction and magnitude of the intervening currents. In this study the behavior of swell measured by SAR on a satellite pass over the Gulf Stream is examined. The refraction predicted by a numerical model under conditions of varying current profiles and velocities is compared to SAR generated wave spectra. By matching the current profile which results in the best correlation of wave refraction to the SAR data, the tomographic problem of measuring the Gulf Stream current is solved. Keywords: Theses.