The U2H map explains the effect of (sub)mesoscale currents on significant wave height statistics.
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| Title: | The U2H map explains the effect of (sub)mesoscale currents on significant wave height statistics. |
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| Authors: | Wang, Han1 (AUTHOR) hannnwangus@gmail.com, Villas Bôas, Ana B.2 (AUTHOR), Vanneste, Jacques3 (AUTHOR), Young, William R.4 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Physical Oceanography. May2026, Vol. 56 Issue 5, p1-11. 11p. |
| Subjects: | Water currents, Wave-current interaction, Mesoscale eddies, Wave energy, Gravity waves |
| Abstract: | Currents modulate the energy of surface gravity waves, leading to spatial inhomogeneities in significant wave height (SWH). Previous work indicates that the overall scale of the inhomogeneities is set by the scale of the currents, that the inhomogeneities are strongly anisotropic even for isotropic currents, and that the rotational and divergent components of the currents have sharply distinct effects. We explain these and other features of current-induced SWH inhomogeneities using the U2H map, a linear relation between SWH and currents deduced from wave-action conservation by making simplifying assumptions. We obtain a linear law relating the spectrum of SWH to the spectra of rotational and divergent kinetic energy of the current. This makes it possible to relate SWH statistics (such as variance and anisotropy) to the current statistics and wave properties including directional spreading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
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| Abstract: | Currents modulate the energy of surface gravity waves, leading to spatial inhomogeneities in significant wave height (SWH). Previous work indicates that the overall scale of the inhomogeneities is set by the scale of the currents, that the inhomogeneities are strongly anisotropic even for isotropic currents, and that the rotational and divergent components of the currents have sharply distinct effects. We explain these and other features of current-induced SWH inhomogeneities using the U2H map, a linear relation between SWH and currents deduced from wave-action conservation by making simplifying assumptions. We obtain a linear law relating the spectrum of SWH to the spectra of rotational and divergent kinetic energy of the current. This makes it possible to relate SWH statistics (such as variance and anisotropy) to the current statistics and wave properties including directional spreading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00223670 |
| DOI: | 10.1175/JPO-D-25-0097.1 |
