NEARSHORE WINDS: OBSERVATIONAL INSIGHTS AND GAUSSIAN PROCESS REGRESSION ANALYSIS
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Authors
Benbow, Charlotte A.
Subjects
wind stress
nearshore
wind
wave
ocean surface roughness
shoreline
coastline
beach
oceanography
meteorology
air-sea interaction
nearshore
wind
wave
ocean surface roughness
shoreline
coastline
beach
oceanography
meteorology
air-sea interaction
Advisors
Chu, Peter C.
Thornton, Edward B.
MacMahan, James H.
Bingham, Brian S.
Orescanin, Mara S.
Date of Issue
2024-03
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Winds and corresponding wind stress in the nearshore region of the ocean (~10 km from shore) are known to differ from long-standing formulations in the open ocean, but new parameterizations needed to improve Navy models near the coast are incomplete owing to a paucity of in situ observations. Ten shallow-water air-sea buoys were developed for measuring winds, atmospheric fluxes, and temperature and deployed with directional wave buoys in four field experiments to bridge the observational gap. The air-sea buoys must be lightweight and surface-following yet rugged enough to handle the harsh conditions of the nearshore. They utilize new technology and newly developed data quality control procedures. The observations provide a comprehensive dataset for developing new models using exponential Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), a machine learning tool. GPRs are adept at capturing complex, non-linear relationships without preconceptions and creating robust data-derived models that can continue to expand with additional datasets. Nearshore winds exhibit consistent cross-shore slowing towards the coast, influenced by wind orientation and temperature differences. The slowing stems from heightened surface drag driven by increased wind gustiness and wave height near the shore, differing from open ocean dynamics. These observational insights and analyses redefine our understanding of nearshore winds and stresses, offering valuable implications for atmospheric and oceanic research.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Oceanography (OC)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Office of Naval Research, Arlington, VA 22203
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.