The IEEE Seventh Working Conference on Current Measurement Technology

Current and Wave Monitoring and Emerging Technologies

March 13-15 | Bahia Hotel | San Diego, CA, USA

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High Frequency Radar Measurements of Friction Velocity in the Marine Boundary Layer

Lorelle A. Meadows

coauthors:
Stanley J. Jacobs
University of Michigan

John F. Vesecky
University of California at Santa Cruz

This work brings the hydrodynamic theory of the turbulent boundary layer to bear on the interpretation of HF radar data and addresses the potential of HF radar for determination of
the friction velocity in the water over a broad spatial region. Recent advances in High Frequency (HF) radar instrumentation have resulted in the development of a radar capable of detecting small changes in surface wave phase velocities as a result of an underlying current. The development of a multi-frequency radar system extends this capability to the determination of the vertical distribution of the flow in the water column, or current shear. In this work, the Levenberg-Marquardt method of non-linear least squares is used to determine the near surface current profile based on
a theoretical model of the effect of the current on the phase velocity of a surface gravity wave. The results of this analysis are compared to in situ measurements of wind velocity and measurement-based calculations of friction velocity. The results show that estimates of the friction
velocity compare well with in situ measurements under moderate wind conditions.

Submitted on January 15, 2003

Sponsored by the Current Measurement Technology Committee (CMTC) of the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society.

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