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F-GEO-Naturvitenskap, geofag

Effect of longitudial Marangoni waves on the surface wave signature of a film covered ocean

Awarded: NOK 1.6 mill.

Thin surface films cover large areas of the ocean surface. They are of biogenic as well as of antropogenic origin,i.e. chemical breakdown of dead organisms or petroleum spills from ships or offshore industry. Such films have a profound influence on the sh ort surface wave climate of the ocean. The elasticity of the film gives rise to Marangoni waves, which essentially are longitudinal waves. Marangoni waves act as a sink of energy for short capillary-gravity waves when their frequencies coincide. They also induce a mean mass transport near the surface that can redistribute the material of the soluble part of the surface surfactant. The presence of films inhibits the generation of short wind waves at the sea surface. The wave growth rate and the induced wind wave spectrum do depend on the properties of the film. This problem is very important for the understanding of the momentum tra nsfer from the atmosphere to the ocean. It is also directly related to the interpretation of satellite data with the aim to obtain better estimates for the sea surface roughness. This in turn yields more accurate estimates for the wind stress at the sea s urface, and hence a more reliable wind forcing input for large-scale ocean circulation models.

Funding scheme:

F-GEO-Naturvitenskap, geofag

Thematic Areas and Topics

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