Extremely Low Frequency (0.1 to 1.0 mHz) Surf Zone Currents
Abstract Low‐frequency surf zone eddies disperse material between the shoreline and the continental shelf, and velocity fluctuations with frequencies as low as a few mHz have been observed previously on several beaches. Here spectral estimates of surf zone currents are extended to an order of magnit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL081106 |
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| _version_ | 1849321395563003904 |
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| author | Steve Elgar Britt Raubenheimer David B. Clark Melissa Moulton |
| author_facet | Steve Elgar Britt Raubenheimer David B. Clark Melissa Moulton |
| author_sort | Steve Elgar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Low‐frequency surf zone eddies disperse material between the shoreline and the continental shelf, and velocity fluctuations with frequencies as low as a few mHz have been observed previously on several beaches. Here spectral estimates of surf zone currents are extended to an order of magnitude lower frequency, resolving an extremely low frequency peak of approximately 0.5 mHz that is observed for a range of beaches and wave conditions. The magnitude of the 0.5‐mHz peak increases with increasing wave energy and with spatial inhomogeneity of bathymetry or currents. The 0.5‐mHz peak may indicate the frequency for which nonlinear energy transfers from higher‐frequency, smaller‐scale motions are balanced by dissipative processes and thus may be the low‐frequency limit of the hypothesized 2‐D cascade of energy from breaking waves to lower frequency motions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cba2fa4ad63f40f4856cb9ff8a2093d4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-cba2fa4ad63f40f4856cb9ff8a2093d42025-08-20T03:49:45ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072019-02-014631531153610.1029/2018GL081106Extremely Low Frequency (0.1 to 1.0 mHz) Surf Zone CurrentsSteve Elgar0Britt Raubenheimer1David B. Clark2Melissa Moulton3Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole MA USAWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole MA USAClark Geoscience Consulting Santa Cruz CA USAApplied Physics Laboratory University of Washington Seattle WA USAAbstract Low‐frequency surf zone eddies disperse material between the shoreline and the continental shelf, and velocity fluctuations with frequencies as low as a few mHz have been observed previously on several beaches. Here spectral estimates of surf zone currents are extended to an order of magnitude lower frequency, resolving an extremely low frequency peak of approximately 0.5 mHz that is observed for a range of beaches and wave conditions. The magnitude of the 0.5‐mHz peak increases with increasing wave energy and with spatial inhomogeneity of bathymetry or currents. The 0.5‐mHz peak may indicate the frequency for which nonlinear energy transfers from higher‐frequency, smaller‐scale motions are balanced by dissipative processes and thus may be the low‐frequency limit of the hypothesized 2‐D cascade of energy from breaking waves to lower frequency motions.https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL081106surf zone currentsnearshore processesbreaking wavesvorticity |
| spellingShingle | Steve Elgar Britt Raubenheimer David B. Clark Melissa Moulton Extremely Low Frequency (0.1 to 1.0 mHz) Surf Zone Currents Geophysical Research Letters surf zone currents nearshore processes breaking waves vorticity |
| title | Extremely Low Frequency (0.1 to 1.0 mHz) Surf Zone Currents |
| title_full | Extremely Low Frequency (0.1 to 1.0 mHz) Surf Zone Currents |
| title_fullStr | Extremely Low Frequency (0.1 to 1.0 mHz) Surf Zone Currents |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extremely Low Frequency (0.1 to 1.0 mHz) Surf Zone Currents |
| title_short | Extremely Low Frequency (0.1 to 1.0 mHz) Surf Zone Currents |
| title_sort | extremely low frequency 0 1 to 1 0 mhz surf zone currents |
| topic | surf zone currents nearshore processes breaking waves vorticity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL081106 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT steveelgar extremelylowfrequency01to10mhzsurfzonecurrents AT brittraubenheimer extremelylowfrequency01to10mhzsurfzonecurrents AT davidbclark extremelylowfrequency01to10mhzsurfzonecurrents AT melissamoulton extremelylowfrequency01to10mhzsurfzonecurrents |