Wave refraction on Southern Ocean eddies

• Main Authors: Rapizo, Henrique, Babanin, Alexander V., Gramstad, Odin, Ghantous, Malek
• Other Authors: Swinburne University of Technology
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society 2014
• Subjects: Southern Ocean
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/400361; http://people.eng.unimelb.edu.au/imarusic/proceedings/19%20AFMC%20TOC.htm

Motivated by differences in direction of propagation between the modelled and measured waves observed at the Southern Ocean Flux Station (SOFS), we investigated the possible effects of wave refraction on a Southern Ocean current field. We implemented a numerical model to describe the refraction of wave trains when propagating over a spatially varying current field and to see how they would be affected as they approach the location of the SOFS. The model was applied to three typical swell directions observed in the Southern Ocean, coming from south (S), southwest (SW) and west (W). The regions of convergence (increasing energy) and divergence (decreasing energy) of the wave rays are defined for each situation, as well as the relative changes in wave energy, and hence wave height. It is shown that a specific eddy located at southwest from the buoy can have strong influences in the wave propagation and, in the case of westerly and southwesterly swells, can generate a clear divergence of the wave rays that would otherwise have reached the buoy location if there were no currents.