Breaking Ocean Waves

Geometry, Structure, and Remote Sensing

Eugene A. Sharkov

The study and measurement of spatio-temporal characteristics of wave breaking and sea foam formations are of fundamental importance in ocean remote sensing. Breaking Ocean Waves is the first comprehensive description of the physical findings from investigations into these characteristics by optical and microwave remote sensing. The book:

• explains why and how sea wave breaks occur and their physical properties;
• discusses unique scientific findings from Russian remote sensing expeditions to the Far East;
• provides details of unique Russian oceanography research;
• shows how sea foam is seen to be white in colour and turns completely black at microwave region.

Much emphasis is placed on the physical aspects of the breaking processes required to measure the possibilities and limitations of remote sensing methods in specific observations of an oceanic surface. The highly-significant contribution of various types of foam formations to the mean, and the spatio-temporal variations of radio emission, back-scattering, IR and optical parameters of the disturbed sea surface are analysed and discussed. Numerous illustrations are provided from air-borne, ship-borne and up-to-date laboratory experiments, as well as the practical applications arising from these activities.

Table of Contents

• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• List of figures
• List of tables
• List of abbreviations and acronyms
  1. Introduction and rationale
  2. Spatial stochastic breaking wave fields in theíatmosphere-ocean system
  3. Linear and two-dimensional geometry of whitecapping and foam structures
  4. The lifetime dynamics of sea wave-breakings
  5. The drop-spray phase over a rough sea surface
  6. Electrodynamics of a rough, disperse, closely packed media
  7. Electrodynamics of concentrated drop flows
  8. Field optical-microwave remote sensing of the air-sea transition zone in the atmosphere-ocean system
  9. Conclusions
• References
• Index

Extent: 308 pages
Binding: Hardback
Publication Date: July 2007
ISBN: 978-3-540-29827-4

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