Langmuir Turbulence Effects on Coastal Surface Waves
Langmuir turbulence is widely recognized for enhancing upper-ocean mixing and altering current dynamics; however, its influence on surface wave characteristics remains insufficiently understood. Due to the difficulty in resolving Langmuir turbulence in ocean models, its effect is usually parameteriz...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/6/1067 |
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| author | Jiehua Wu Peng Wang |
| author_facet | Jiehua Wu Peng Wang |
| author_sort | Jiehua Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Langmuir turbulence is widely recognized for enhancing upper-ocean mixing and altering current dynamics; however, its influence on surface wave characteristics remains insufficiently understood. Due to the difficulty in resolving Langmuir turbulence in ocean models, its effect is usually parameterized. In this study, we implement a Langmuir turbulence parameterization into a coupled wave–circulation model and use it to investigate the effects of Langmuir turbulence on the evolution of surface waves under upwelling-favorable wind conditions over an idealized continental shelf. The results indicate that Langmuir turbulence significantly modifies the spatial distribution and gradients of wave height, primarily through the modulation of current-induced wave refraction. Specifically, Langmuir turbulence suppresses coastal currents and associated vorticity, thereby weakening the impact of current-induced wave refraction. This leads to diminished alongshore wavenumber gradients and weakens the focusing of wave energy, which, in turn, reduces alongshore wave height gradients. Furthermore, this attenuation of wave height gradients by Langmuir turbulence remains robust across different wave–wind misalignment angles. These findings provide evidence of Langmuir turbulence’s role in wave energy redistribution and underscore the importance of incorporating its dynamics into coupled wave–current modeling frameworks. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e307dab6b4084a7a8ab6e4621ce38409 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-e307dab6b4084a7a8ab6e4621ce384092025-08-20T03:27:19ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122025-05-01136106710.3390/jmse13061067Langmuir Turbulence Effects on Coastal Surface WavesJiehua Wu0Peng Wang1School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, ChinaLaoshan Laboratory, Qingdao 266237, ChinaLangmuir turbulence is widely recognized for enhancing upper-ocean mixing and altering current dynamics; however, its influence on surface wave characteristics remains insufficiently understood. Due to the difficulty in resolving Langmuir turbulence in ocean models, its effect is usually parameterized. In this study, we implement a Langmuir turbulence parameterization into a coupled wave–circulation model and use it to investigate the effects of Langmuir turbulence on the evolution of surface waves under upwelling-favorable wind conditions over an idealized continental shelf. The results indicate that Langmuir turbulence significantly modifies the spatial distribution and gradients of wave height, primarily through the modulation of current-induced wave refraction. Specifically, Langmuir turbulence suppresses coastal currents and associated vorticity, thereby weakening the impact of current-induced wave refraction. This leads to diminished alongshore wavenumber gradients and weakens the focusing of wave energy, which, in turn, reduces alongshore wave height gradients. Furthermore, this attenuation of wave height gradients by Langmuir turbulence remains robust across different wave–wind misalignment angles. These findings provide evidence of Langmuir turbulence’s role in wave energy redistribution and underscore the importance of incorporating its dynamics into coupled wave–current modeling frameworks.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/6/1067Langmuir turbulencewave–current interactionscoastal dynamics |
| spellingShingle | Jiehua Wu Peng Wang Langmuir Turbulence Effects on Coastal Surface Waves Journal of Marine Science and Engineering Langmuir turbulence wave–current interactions coastal dynamics |
| title | Langmuir Turbulence Effects on Coastal Surface Waves |
| title_full | Langmuir Turbulence Effects on Coastal Surface Waves |
| title_fullStr | Langmuir Turbulence Effects on Coastal Surface Waves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Langmuir Turbulence Effects on Coastal Surface Waves |
| title_short | Langmuir Turbulence Effects on Coastal Surface Waves |
| title_sort | langmuir turbulence effects on coastal surface waves |
| topic | Langmuir turbulence wave–current interactions coastal dynamics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/6/1067 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jiehuawu langmuirturbulenceeffectsoncoastalsurfacewaves AT pengwang langmuirturbulenceeffectsoncoastalsurfacewaves |