Open AccessSpectral Wave–Turbulence Decomposition
Author(s) -
Jeremy D. Bricker,
Stephen G. Monismith
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of atmospheric and oceanic technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.774
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1520-0426
pISSN - 0739-0572
DOI - 10.1175/jtech2066.1
Subject(s) - turbulence , wave turbulence , pointwise , physics , decomposition , orientation (vector space) , field (mathematics) , computational physics , k epsilon turbulence model , mechanics , mathematical analysis , mathematics , geometry , chemistry , organic chemistry , pure mathematics
A new method of wave–turbulence decomposition is introduced, for which the only instrument required is one high-frequency pointwise velocity sensor. This is a spectral method that assumes equilibrium turbulence and no wave–turbulence interaction. Nonetheless, laboratory and field experiments show that the new method produces results in good agreement with the results of established wave–turbulence decomposition methods. Therefore, this spectral method proves useful when neither a synchronized wave gauge, nor a second velocimeter, is available. Furthermore, this study indicates that uncertainty in velocimeter probe orientation is responsible for most of the wave bias occurring in turbulent velocity data, so that an accurate measurement of this orientation makes wave–turbulence decomposition unnecessary.