Experiments with a high frequency laser slope meter
Experiments with a high frequency laser slope meter
In this thesis research is presented which aims to explore and exploit the capability of a single point Laser Slope meter for measuring the two-dimensional surface slope of water waves. The instrument is capable of being deployed in the field as well as wind wave tanks and these two environments are used to explore the full capability of the instrument for determining the applicability of wave tank data to the ocean environment. Two areas of research are concentrated on; these are the ambient surface wave field and interactions between surface waves and a horizontally varying surface current. Measurements of the ambient wave fields in both the field and a wave tank are presented. The results have led to a questioning of the Gram-Charlier behaviour of the two-dimensional surface slope probability distribution reported by Cox and Munk. The techniques are used in both the wave tank and the field to estimate the ambient wavenumber spectrum. In the field the results support a k-4 spectrum whilst in the wave tank, the spectral form is more complicated but does have regions that vary as k-4. The results also show that using suitable techniques for calculating the wind friction velocity allows a direct comparison of data collected in different ocean environments. An experiment has been designed in which the Laser Slope meter has been used successfully to measure modulations in the surface wave field caused by a horizontally varying surface current.
University of Southampton
Ballard, Valerie Jean
2c25e5e2-f0c6-4f15-83fe-073c13812ad4
2001
Ballard, Valerie Jean
2c25e5e2-f0c6-4f15-83fe-073c13812ad4
Ballard, Valerie Jean
(2001)
Experiments with a high frequency laser slope meter.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
In this thesis research is presented which aims to explore and exploit the capability of a single point Laser Slope meter for measuring the two-dimensional surface slope of water waves. The instrument is capable of being deployed in the field as well as wind wave tanks and these two environments are used to explore the full capability of the instrument for determining the applicability of wave tank data to the ocean environment. Two areas of research are concentrated on; these are the ambient surface wave field and interactions between surface waves and a horizontally varying surface current. Measurements of the ambient wave fields in both the field and a wave tank are presented. The results have led to a questioning of the Gram-Charlier behaviour of the two-dimensional surface slope probability distribution reported by Cox and Munk. The techniques are used in both the wave tank and the field to estimate the ambient wavenumber spectrum. In the field the results support a k-4 spectrum whilst in the wave tank, the spectral form is more complicated but does have regions that vary as k-4. The results also show that using suitable techniques for calculating the wind friction velocity allows a direct comparison of data collected in different ocean environments. An experiment has been designed in which the Laser Slope meter has been used successfully to measure modulations in the surface wave field caused by a horizontally varying surface current.
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Published date: 2001
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Local EPrints ID: 467010
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/467010
PURE UUID: 2182f767-5116-4a92-8a81-02ae793de18b
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Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 08:07
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 20:55
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Author:
Valerie Jean Ballard
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