Waves, Boundary Layers and Turbulence
George L. Mellor
Atmospheric and Oceanics Sciences Program
Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08544
A turbulence closure model is applied to the case of an oscillating
bottom boundary layer; model calculations compare favorably with data.
Wave induced oscillations can be temporally resolved in a one-dimensional
model but not in three-dimensional ocean models, and, indeed,
statistical wave models, working in consort with ocean models, can only
provide information on expected wave periods and amplitudes. Therefore,
a way has been found to parameterize the effects of
bottom oscillations and, at the same time, to determine wave dissipation
due to the oscillations.
The experience gained in the above research is being extended to
more general interactions of ocean circulation, waves and turbulence.