Observations and Parametrization of the Turbulent Energy Dissipation Beneath Non-Breaking Waves

Abstract

Here, for non-breaking short surface waves, we have experimentally determined the value of the turbulent eddy viscosity νT or its ratio νT*≡νT/ν, where ν is the water kinematic viscosity. The non-breaking wave-generated turbulent eddy viscosity νT was found to depend on the ratio of the wave period, T, to the microscale Kolmogorov time scale, τη. Our observations were consistent with νT*=1.46·(T/τη)−2.6 when (T/τη)<0.9. That implied that the νT*∝ϵ−1.3, where ϵ is the background turbulent energy dissipation rate. The near-surface turbulent flow associated with non-breaking waves was characterized by a short inertial subrange. The background turbulence appears to modulate the amount of energy the non-breaking waves dissipate locally and, consequently, the wave’s decay rate. Our results imply that the background turbulent flow acts as a lubricant, permitting waves to propagate further when traveling over a more energetic turbulent background flow. Our results have implications for the modeling of oceanic wave propagation or the air–sea exchange processes.