Breaking Ocean Waves: Geometry, Structure, and Remote Sensing

✍ Scribed by Professor Eugene A. Sharkov (auth.)

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 295
• Series: Springer Praxis Books
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book represents the most comprehensive description of the physical findings of an investigation into the spatio-temporal characteristics of the gravity of breaking waves and the foam activity in open sea by methods and instruments of optical and microwave remote sensing.

The study of physical and electrodynamics' properties of the gravity wave breaking processes and the foam spatio-temporal activity is an important facet of satellite oceanography, ocean engineering, air-sea interaction and ocean remote sensing. In particular, the contribution of foam formations of various types to the mean and the spatio-temporal variations of radio emission, back-scattering, IR and optical parameters of the disturbed sea surface is highly significant. The statistical characteristics of wave breaking and attendant foam forming are very important to ocean wave dynamics. The study and measurement of spatio-temporal characteristics of wave breaking and sea foam formations are of fundamental importance in ocean remote sensing.

Much emphasis is placed on the physical aspects of breaking processes necessary to measure the possibilities and limitations of remote sensing methods in specific observation cases of an oceanic surface. Numerous practical applications and illustrations are provided from air-borne, ship-borne and laboratory up-to-date experiments.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-xxv
Introduction and rationale....Pages 1-8
Spatial stochastic breaking wave fields in the atmosphere—ocean system....Pages 9-48
Linear and two-dimensional geometry of whitecapping and foam structures....Pages 49-81
The lifetime dynamics of sea wave breakings....Pages 83-101
The drop-spray phase over a rough sea surface....Pages 103-118
Electrodynamics of a rough, disperse, closely packed media....Pages 119-177
Electrodynamics of concentrated drop flows....Pages 179-222
Field optical—microwave remote sensing of the air—sea transition zone in the atmosphere—ocean system....Pages 223-261
Conclusions....Pages 263-264
Back Matter....Pages 265-278

✦ Subjects

Oceanography; Applied Geosciences; Computer Applications in Geosciences; Meteorology/Climatology; Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry