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A spar buoy for high frequency wave measurements and detection of wave breaking in the open ocean

A spar buoy for high frequency wave measurements and detection of wave breaking in the open ocean
A spar buoy for high frequency wave measurements and detection of wave breaking in the open ocean
Waves and wave breaking play a significant role in the air-sea exchanges of momentum, sea spray aerosols and trace gases such as CO2 but few direct measurements of wave breaking have been obtained in the open ocean (far from the coast). This paper describes the development and initial deployments on two research cruises of an autonomous spar buoy that was designed to obtain such open ocean measurements. The buoy was equipped with: capacitance wave wires and accelerometers to measure surface elevation and wave breaking; downward looking still and video digital cameras to obtain images of the sea surface; sub-surface acoustic and optical sensors to detect bubble clouds from breaking waves. The buoy was free drifting and was designed to collect data autonomously for days at a time before being recovered. Therefore, on the two cruises during which the buoy was deployed, this allowed a variety of sea states to be sampled in mean wind speeds which ranged from 5 to 18 m/s.
0739-0572
590-605
Pascal, R.W.
3b2e2a38-334f-430f-b110-253a0a835a07
Srokosz, M.A.
1e0442ce-679f-43f2-8fe4-9a0f0174d483
Moat, B.I.
497dbb18-a98f-466b-b459-aa2c872ad2dc
Waugh, E.M.
bf1debbf-0db9-43d3-84a5-044a22c52748
Comben, D.H.
75f6cb8c-bbac-472a-bd82-f2f18cf1c080
Clansdale, A.G.
f6e75f10-8b90-44ae-8aa2-6f4d0563eaaf
Hartman, M.C.
cdd63b60-f89a-4ef8-842d-7803f8213c18
Coles, D.G.H.
de60477c-eb71-49e0-8038-5d2d030aa053
Hsueh, Ping-Chang
e7023187-9ab5-47cd-91a5-a6c454b54f9f
Leighton, T.G.
3e5262ce-1d7d-42eb-b013-fcc5c286bbae
Pascal, R.W.
3b2e2a38-334f-430f-b110-253a0a835a07
Srokosz, M.A.
1e0442ce-679f-43f2-8fe4-9a0f0174d483
Moat, B.I.
497dbb18-a98f-466b-b459-aa2c872ad2dc
Waugh, E.M.
bf1debbf-0db9-43d3-84a5-044a22c52748
Comben, D.H.
75f6cb8c-bbac-472a-bd82-f2f18cf1c080
Clansdale, A.G.
f6e75f10-8b90-44ae-8aa2-6f4d0563eaaf
Hartman, M.C.
cdd63b60-f89a-4ef8-842d-7803f8213c18
Coles, D.G.H.
de60477c-eb71-49e0-8038-5d2d030aa053
Hsueh, Ping-Chang
e7023187-9ab5-47cd-91a5-a6c454b54f9f
Leighton, T.G.
3e5262ce-1d7d-42eb-b013-fcc5c286bbae

Pascal, R.W., Srokosz, M.A., Moat, B.I., Waugh, E.M., Comben, D.H., Clansdale, A.G., Hartman, M.C., Coles, D.G.H., Hsueh, Ping-Chang and Leighton, T.G. (2011) A spar buoy for high frequency wave measurements and detection of wave breaking in the open ocean. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 28 (4), 590-605. (doi:10.1175/2010JTECHO764.1).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Waves and wave breaking play a significant role in the air-sea exchanges of momentum, sea spray aerosols and trace gases such as CO2 but few direct measurements of wave breaking have been obtained in the open ocean (far from the coast). This paper describes the development and initial deployments on two research cruises of an autonomous spar buoy that was designed to obtain such open ocean measurements. The buoy was equipped with: capacitance wave wires and accelerometers to measure surface elevation and wave breaking; downward looking still and video digital cameras to obtain images of the sea surface; sub-surface acoustic and optical sensors to detect bubble clouds from breaking waves. The buoy was free drifting and was designed to collect data autonomously for days at a time before being recovered. Therefore, on the two cruises during which the buoy was deployed, this allowed a variety of sea states to be sampled in mean wind speeds which ranged from 5 to 18 m/s.

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More information

Published date: May 2011
Organisations: Ocean Technology and Engineering, Marine Physics and Ocean Climate

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 71822
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/71822
ISSN: 0739-0572
PURE UUID: 125000d7-8fc7-4729-8d1d-aef32998d309
ORCID for T.G. Leighton: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1649-8750

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 04 Jan 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:37

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Contributors

Author: R.W. Pascal
Author: M.A. Srokosz
Author: B.I. Moat
Author: E.M. Waugh
Author: D.H. Comben
Author: A.G. Clansdale
Author: M.C. Hartman
Author: D.G.H. Coles
Author: Ping-Chang Hsueh
Author: T.G. Leighton ORCID iD

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