On Surface Waves Generated by Extra-Tropical Cyclones—Part I: Multi-Satellite Measurements

Type Article
Date 2023-04
Language English
Author(s) Cheshm Siyahi VahidORCID1, Kudryavtsev VladimirORCID1, 2, Yurovskaya MariaORCID1, 2, Collard Fabrice3, Chapron BertrandORCID4
Affiliation(s) 1 : Satellite Oceanography Laboratory, Russian State Hydrometeorological University, 195196 St. Petersburg, Russia
2 : Marine Hydrophysical Institute RAS, 299011 Sevastopol, Russia
3 : OceanDataLab, 29280 Locmaria-Plouzané, France
4 : Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS), Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer, 29280 Plouzané, France
Source Remote Sensing (2072-4292) (MDPI AG), 2023-04 , Vol. 15 , N. 7 , P. 1940 (18p.)
DOI 10.3390/rs15071940
WOS© Times Cited 1
Note This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing of Wave Fields under Extreme Weather Conditions (in Tropical and Extra-Tropical Cyclones and Polar Lows)
Keyword(s) extreme waves, extra-tropical cyclones, altimeter and SWIM-CFOSAT, ocean surface waves remote sensing, Atlantic Ocean, ocean surface waves monitoring and modeling, self-similar solutions, fetch and duration laws
Abstract

Surface waves generated by Extra-Tropical Cyclones (ETCs) can significantly affect shipping, fishing, offshore oil and gas production, and other marine activities. This paper presents the results of a satellite data-based investigation of wind waves generated by two North Atlantic ETCs. These ETCs were fast-moving systems, inhibiting resonance (synchronism) between the group velocity of the generated waves and the ETC translation velocity. In these cases, wave generation begins when the front boundary of the storm appears at a given ocean location point. Since developing waves are slow, they move backward relative to the storm, grow in time, and then leave the ETC stormy area through the rear sector. Multi-satellite observations confirm such a paradigm, revealing that the storm regions are filled with young developing wind waves, the most developed in the rear-right sector. As observed, the energy of these waves grew in time during the ETC life span. It is demonstrated that the extended-fetch concept (inherent for Tropical Cyclones) does not apply to ETC. Instead, by analogy, the concept of extended-duration wave growth is more relevant. Satellite observations confirmed the validity of duration-laws for waves generated by ETCs, and demonstrated that extended-fetch solutioncan be valid at time scales exceeding the lifespan of considered ETCs.

Full Text
File Pages Size Access
Publisher's official version 18 17 MB Open access
Top of the page