The NOAA IR serves as an archival repository of NOAA-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other information authored or co-authored by NOAA or funded partners.
As a repository, the NOAA IR retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.
i
Surface Wave Development and Ambient Sound in the Ocean
-
2024
-
-
Source: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 129(12)
-
Series: PMEL contribution; no. 5604
[PDF-1.75 MB]
Details:
-
Journal Title:Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
-
Personal Author:
-
NOAA Program & Office:
-
Description:Wind, wave, and acoustic observations are used to test a scaling for ambient sound levels in the ocean that is based on wind speed and the degree of surface wave development (at a given wind speed). The focus of this study is acoustic frequencies in the range 1–20 kHz, for which sound is generated by the bubbles injected during surface wave breaking. Traditionally, ambient sound spectra in this frequency range are scaled by wind speed alone. In this study, we investigate a secondary dependence on surface wave development. For any given wind‐speed, ambient sound levels are separated into conditions in which waves are 1) actively developing or 2) fully developed. Wave development is quantified using the non‐dimensional wave height, a metric commonly used to analyze fetch or duration limitations in wave growth. This simple metric is applicable in both coastal and open ocean environments. Use of the wave development metric to scale sound spectra is first motivated with observations from a brief case study near the island of Jan Mayen (Norwegian Sea), then robustly tested with long time‐series observations of winds and waves at Ocean Station Papa (North Pacific Ocean). When waves are actively developing, ambient sound levels are elevated 2–3 dB across the 1–20 kHz frequency range. This result is discussed in the context of sound generation during wave breaking and sound attenuation by persistent bubble layers.
-
Source:Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 129(12)
-
Series:
-
DOI:
-
ISSN:2169-9275;2169-9291;
-
Format:
-
Publisher:
-
Document Type:
-
License:
-
Rights Information:CC BY-NC
-
Compliance:Submitted
-
Main Document Checksum:
-
Download URL:
-
File Type:
