Frankstar and the Key Laboratory of Physical Oceanography, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, jointly deployed 16 wave sprites in the Northwest Pacific Ocean from 2019 to 2020, and obtained 13,594 sets of valuable wave data in the relevant waters for up to 310 days. Scientists in the laboratory carefully analyzed and used the observed in-situ data to prove that the sea surface flow field can significantly change the wave height characteristics of ocean waves. The research paper was published in Deep Sea Research Part I, an authoritative journal in the marine industry. Important in situ observational data are provided.
The article points out that there are relatively mature theories in the world about the influence of ocean currents on the wave field, which are further supported by a series of numerical simulation results. However, from the perspective of in situ observations, sufficient and effective evidence has not been provided to reveal the modulation effect of ocean currents on waves, and we still lack a relatively deep understanding of the impact of global-scale ocean currents on wave fields.
By comparing the differences between the WAVEWATCH III wave model product (GFS-WW3) and the in-situ observed wave heights of wave buoys (DrWBs), it is confirmed from the observational point of view that ocean currents can significantly affect the effective wave heights. In particular, in the Kuroshio extension sea area of the northwestern Pacific Ocean, when the wave propagation direction is the same (opposite) to the sea surface current, the effective wave height observed by DrWBs in situ is lower (higher) than the effective wave height simulated by GFS-WW3. Without considering the forcing effect of ocean current on the wave field, the GFS-WW3 product may have an error of up to 5% compared with the effective wave height observed in the field. Further analysis using satellite altimeter observations shows that, except in sea areas dominated by ocean swells (the eastern low-latitude ocean), the simulation error of the GFS-WW3 wave product is consistent with the projection of ocean currents on the wave direction in the global ocean.
The publication of this article further shows that the domestic ocean observation platforms and observation sensors represented by wave buoy have gradually approached and reached the international level.
Frankstar will make further unremitting efforts to launch more and better ocean observation platforms and sensors, and do something proud!
Post time: Oct-31-2022