Graavity w
wave
From WWikipedia, thhe free encyyclopedia
Jump too: navigationn, search
For the different cooncept in genneral relativvity, see gravitational w
wave.
Surface gravity wavve, breakingg on an oceaan beach.
Wave cllouds over T
Theresa, Wiisconsin, Unnited States..
Atmosppheric gravitty waves as seen from sspace.
NASA ssatellite imaage of a gravvity wave clloud patternn formed in the wake off the Île Am
msterdam,
a volcannic island inn the southerrn Indian Occean.
In fluid dynamics, gravity waves are waves generated in a fluid medium or at the interface
between two media (e.g., the atmosphere and the ocean) which has the restoring force of gravity
or buoyancy.
When a fluid element is displaced on an interface or internally to a region with a different
density, gravity tries to restore the parcel toward equilibrium resulting in an oscillation about the
equilibrium state or wave orbit. Gravity waves on an air–sea interface are called surface gravity
waves or surface waves while internal gravity waves are called internal waves. Wind-generated
waves on the water surface are examples of gravity waves, and tsunamis and ocean tides are
others.
Wind-generated gravity waves on the free surface of the Earth's ponds, lakes, seas and oceans
have a period of between 0.3 and 30 seconds (3 Hz to 0.03 Hz). Shorter waves are also affected
by surface tension and are called gravity–capillary waves and (if hardly influenced by gravity)
capillary waves. Alternatively, so-called infragravity waves, which are due to subharmonic
nonlinear wave interaction with the wind waves, have periods longer than the accompanying
wind-generated waves.[1]
Contents
[hide]
1 Atmosphere dynamics on Earth
2 Quantitative description
3 The generation of waves by wind
4 See also
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links
[edit] Atmosphere dynamics on Earth
See also: Undular bore
Since the fluid is, to close approximation, a continuous medium, a traveling disturbance will
result. In the Earth's atmosphere, gravity waves are important for transferring momentum from
the troposphere to the stratosphere. Gravity waves are generated in the troposphere by frontal
systems or by airflow over mountains. At first waves propagate through the atmosphere without
affecting its mean velocity. But as the waves reach more rarefied air at higher altitudes, their
amplitude increases, and nonlinear effects cause the waves to break, transferring their
momentum to the mean flow.
This process plays a key role in controlling the dynamics of the middle atmosphere[citation needed].
The clouuds in graviity waves caan look like Altostratus undulatus cclouds, and are sometim
mes
confused with themm, but the formation meechanism is different[citaation needed].
[edit]] Quanttitative descrip
ption
Further informationn: Airy wave theory
The phaase speed oof a linear gravity
g wavee with waveenumber iss given by thhe formula
where g is the accelleration duee to gravity. When surfaace tension is importannt, this is moodified to
where σ is the surfaace tension coefficient,
c ρ is the dennsity, and k is
i the wavennumber (spaatial
frequenccy) of the disturbance.
[show]
Detailss of the phaase-speed derivation
d
Since is the pphase speedd in terms off the angulaar frequencyy and the wavenumbe
w r, the
gravity w
wave angular frequencyy can be exppressed as
The grooup velocity of a wave ((that is, the speed at whhich a wave packet travels) is givenn by
and thuss for a graviity wave,
The grooup velocity is one half the phase vvelocity. A w
wave in which the groupp and phasee
velocitiees differ is ccalled dispersive.
[edit]] The geeneratioon of waaves by wind
Wind waves,
w as theeir name sugggests, are ggenerated byy wind transsferring enerrgy from thee
atmosphhere to the oocean's surfaace, and cappillary-graviity waves pllay an essenntial role in tthis
effect. T
There are tw
wo distinct mechanisms
m involved, ccalled after ttheir proponnents, Phillipps and
Miles.
In the wwork of Philllips,[2] the ocean
o surface is imagineed to be inittially flat (gllassy), and a
turbulennt wind blow ws over the surface. Whhen a flow is i turbulent, one observves a random mly
fluctuatiing velocityy field superrimposed onn a mean floow (contrastt with a lamiinar flow, inn which
the fluidd motion is oordered andd smooth). T The fluctuatiing velocityy field givess rise to fluctuating
stresses (both tangeential and noormal) that act on the air-water
a inteerface. The normal streess, or
fluctuatiing pressuree acts as a foorcing term (much like pushing a sswing introdduces a forcing term).
If the freequency andd wavenum mber of this forcingg term matchh a mode off vibration oof the
capillaryy-gravity wave (as deriived above),, then there is a resonannce, and the wave grow ws in
amplitudde. As with other resonnance effects, the ampliitude of this wave grow ws linearly wwith time.
The air--water interfface is now endowed w with a surface roughnesss due to the capillary-grravity
waves, and
a a seconnd phase of w wave growthh takes placce. A wave eestablished on the surfaace either
spontanneously as deescribed aboove, or in laaboratory coonditions, innteracts withh the turbuleent mean
flow in a manner deescribed by Miles.[3] Thhis is the so--called critical-layer meechanism. A critical
layer forrms at a heiight where the
t wave speeed c equalss the mean tturbulent floow U. As thhe flow is
a its second derivativve is thus neegative. This is
turbulennt, its mean profile is loogarithmic, and
precisely the condittion for the mean flow to impart itss energy to tthe interfacee through thhe critical
layer. This supply oof energy too the interfacce is destabiilizing and ccauses the aamplitude off the wave
on the innterface to ggrow in timee. As in othher exampless of linear innstability, thhe growth raate of the
disturbaance in this pphase is expponential in time.
This Miiles–Phillipss Mechanism m process can continuee until an equuilibrium iss reached, orr until the
wind stoops transferrring energy to the wavees (i.e., blow
wing them aalong) or whhen they runn out of
ocean distance, alsoo known as fetch lengthh.
[edit]] See alsso
Cloud streett
C
L waves
Lee
R
Rayleigh–TTaylor instabbility
O
Orr–Somme erfeld equattion
[edit]] Notes
1. ^ Bromirskii, Peter D.; Sergienko, Olga V.; MMacAyeal, Douglas R. (22010), "Trannsoceanic
i
infragravity
y waves imppacting Antaarctic ice sheelves", Geopphysical Reesearch Lettters
(
(American G
Geophysicaal Union) 377 (L02502), doi:10.10299/2009GL0441488.
2. ^ Phillips, O.
O M. (19577), "On the ggeneration oof waves by turbulent wwind", J. Fluuid Mech.
2 (5): 417–4445, doi:10.1017/S002221120570000233
3. ^ Miles, J. W
W. (1957), "On
" the genneration of surface
s waves by shear flows", J. F
Fluid
M
Mech. 3 (2): 185–204, ddoi:10.10177/S0022112057000567
[edit]] Refereences
G A. E., "Gravity waave". Atmossphere Oceaan Dynamiccs, Academic Press, 19882.
Gill,
[edit]] Extern
nal link
ks
W
Wikimedia Coommons haas media relaated to: Graavity waves
Koch, Steveen; Cobb, IIII, Hugh D.; Stuart, Neiil A., Notes on Gravity Waves – Opperational
K
F
Forecastingg and Detection of Gravvity Waves W Weather andd Forecastinng, NOAA,,
h
[Link] .[Link]/er/akq/[Link], retrieved 20010-11-11
G
Gallery of ccloud gravityty waves oveer Iowa,
h
[Link] .[Link]/nnews/local/[Link], retrievedd 2010-11-11
T
Time-lapse video of graavity waves over Iowa,
h
[Link] .[Link]/watch?v= =yXnkzeCU U3bE, retrieeved 2010-11-11
Water Wavees Wiki, httpp://[Link]/[Link]//Main_Pagee, retrieved 2010-11-
11
[hide] P
Physical oceanography - Waves aand Curren
nts
A
Airy wave
thheory ·
B
Ballantine
Scale ·
B
Boussinesq
appproximatioon ·
B
Breaking
w
wave ·
Wavees C
Clapotis ·
C
Cnoidal wavve ·
C
Cross sea ·
D
Dispersion ·
Innfragravity
w
waves · Edgee
w
wave ·
E
Equatorial
w
waves · Fetchh ·
Freak wave ·
Gravity wave ·
Internal wave ·
Kelvin wave ·
Luke's
variational
principle ·
Mild-slope
equation ·
Radiation
stress · Rogue
wave · Rossby
wave · Rossby-
gravity waves ·
Sea state ·
Seiche ·
Significant
wave height ·
Sneaker wave ·
Soliton · Stokes
drift · Surf
wave · Swells ·
Tsunami ·
Undertow ·
Ursell number ·
Wave base ·
Wave–current
interaction ·
Wave height ·
Wave power ·
Wave
shoaling ·
Wave radar ·
Wave
turbulence ·
Waves and
shallow water ·
Shallow water
equations ·
Wind wave ·
Wind wave
model · More...
Atmospheric
circulation ·
Baroclinity ·
Boundary
current ·
Coriolis effect ·
Downwelling ·
Eddy · Ekman
layer · Ekman
spiral · Ekman
transport · El
Niño-Southern
Oscillation ·
Geostrophic
current · Gulf
Stream ·
Circulation
Halothermal
circulation ·
Humboldt
Current ·
Hydrothermal
circulation ·
Global
circulation
model ·
Langmuir
circulation ·
Longshore
drift · Loop
Current ·
Maelstrom ·
Ocean current ·
Ocean
dynamics ·
Ocean gyre ·
Rip current ·
Thermohaline
circulation ·
Shutdown of
thermohaline
circulation ·
Subsurface
currents ·
Sverdrup
balance ·
Whirlpool ·
Upwelling ·
GLODAP ·
MOM · POM ·
WOCE ·
More...
Amphidromic
point · Earth
tide · Head of
tide · Internal
tide · Lunitidal
interval ·
Perigean spring
tide · Rule of
twelfths · Slack
Tides
water ·
Spring/neap
tide · Tidal
bore · Tidal
force · Tidal
power · Tidal
race · Tidal
range · Tidal
resonance ·
T
Tide · Tide
gauge ·
T
Tideline ·
M
More...
[show] Phyysical ocean
nography - Other
A
Abyssal fan ·
A
Abyssal plainn ·
A
Atoll ·
B
Bathymetric
chhart · Cold
seeep ·
C
Continental
m
margin ·
C
Continental
riise ·
C
Continental
shhelf ·
C
Contourite ·
H
Hydrographyy ·
Landfforms
G
Guyot ·
O
Oceanic basiin ·
O
Oceanic
plateau ·
O
Oceanic
trrench · Passsive
m
margin ·
Seabed ·
Seamount ·
Submarine
caanyon ·
C
Coastal
geography ·
M
More...
B
Black smokeer ·
Plate
tectonnics C
Convergent
boundary ·
Divergent
boundary ·
Fracture zone ·
Hydrothermal
vent · Marine
geology · Mid-
ocean ridge ·
Mohorovičić
discontinuity ·
Vine–
Matthews–
Morley
hypothesis ·
Oceanic crust ·
Outer trench
swell · Ridge
push force ·
Seafloor
spreading ·
Slab pull
force · Slab
suction force ·
Slab window ·
Subduction ·
Transform
fault · Volcanic
arc · More...
Benthic · Deep
ocean water ·
Deep sea ·
Littoral ·
Ocean
zones Mesopelagic ·
Oceanic zone ·
Pelagic ·
Photic · Surf
zone
Current sea
level rise ·
Future sea
level · Sea-
Sea level level curve ·
DART ·
GLOSS ·
NOOS ·
OSTM · WGS
Ocean acoustic
tomography ·
Sofar bomb ·
SOFAR
Acoustics
channel ·
Underwater
acoustics ·
Hydroacoustics
Alvin · Argo ·
Benthic
lander · Color
of water ·
Marginal sea ·
Mooring ·
Ocean · Ocean
energy · Ocean
exploration ·
Other Ocean
observations ·
Ocean
pollution ·
Ocean
reanalysis ·
Ocean surface
topography ·
Ocean thermal
energy
conversion ·
Oceanography ·
Pelagic
sediments · Sea
surface
microlayer ·
Sea surface
temperature ·
Seawater ·
Science On a
Sphere ·
Thermocline ·
Underwater
glider · Water
column · World
Ocean Atlas ·
NODC ·
More...
Retrieved from "[Link]
Categories: Fluid dynamics | Atmospheric dynamics | Waves | Water waves
Hidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements
from August 2009
Personal tools
Log in / create account
Namespaces
Article
Discussion
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
Actions
Search
Navigatioon
Main page
M
C
Contents
F
Featured coontent
C
Current eveents
R
Random artticle
D
Donate to W
Wikipedia
Interactiion
Help
H
A
About Wikiipedia
C
Community y portal
R
Recent channges
C
Contact Wikkipedia
Toolbox
What links hhere
W
R
Related chaanges
U
Upload file
S
Special pages
P
Permanent llink
C this pagge
Cite
Print/exp
port
Create a boook
C
D
Download aas PDF
P
Printable veersion
Languagges
Deutsch
D
E
Español
S
Suomi
F
Français
日本語
N
Norsk (bokm
mål)
N
Norsk (nynoorsk)
P
Polski
Português
P
中文
This page w
T was last moddified on 12 April 2011 at 00:23.
T is available under the Creativve Commonss Attributionn-ShareAlikke License;
Text
a
additional teerms may appply. See Terms of Usee for details.
W
Wikipedia® ® is a registeered tradem
mark of the Wikimedia
W F
Foundation, Inc., a non--profit
o
organizationn.
C
Contact us
Privacy poliicy
P
A
About Wikiipedia
D
Disclaimers
s