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The surf zone heat budget: The effect of wave heating
Author(s) -
Sinnett Gregory,
Feddersen Falk
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl061398
Subject(s) - surf zone , heat flux , wave setup , energy flux , energy budget , atmospheric sciences , rip current , advection , meteorology , environmental science , geology , heat transfer , climatology , mechanics , shore , wave propagation , physics , mechanical wave , longitudinal wave , oceanography , thermodynamics , optics , astronomy
Surf zone incident wave energy flux is dissipated by wave breaking which through viscosity generates heat. This effect is not present in shelf heat budgets and has not previously been considered. Pier‐based observations of water temperature in 1–4 m depth, meteorology, and waves are used to test a surf zone heat budget, which closes on diurnal and longer time scales. Wave energy flux is the second most variable term with mean contribution one fourth of the mean short‐wave radiation. The heat budget residual has semidiurnal and higher‐frequency variability and net cooling. Cross‐shore advective heat flux driven by internal wave events, rip currents, and undertow contribute to this residual variability and net cooling. In locations with large waves, steeper beaches, or less solar radiation, the ratio of wave energy flux to short‐wave radiation may be >1.