A Global Climatology of Wind-Wave Interaction

• Published in: Journal of physical oceanography Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 1263 - 1282
• Main Authors: HANLEY, Kirsty E, BELCHER, Stephen E, SULLIVAN, Peter P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA American Meteorological Society 01.06.2010
• Subjects: Atmosphere; Climatology; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Global climate; Latitude; Marine; Meteorology; Momentum transfer; Ocean waves; Oceans; Physics of the oceans; Tropical environments; Wind speed; Southern California; United States > US; Climatology; Mid latitude; Wind field; Long wave; world ocean; tropical zone; Wind velocity; Wind effect; Wave interaction; swells; trajectory; Local wind; coupling; Momentum transfer; Drag; Wind wave; Reanalysis; ocean waves; storms; Surface wind

Abstract Generally, ocean waves are thought to act as a drag on the surface wind so that momentum is transferred downward, from the atmosphere into the waves. Recent observations have suggested that when long wavelength waves—which are characteristic of remotely generated swell—propagate faster than...