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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.
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]
Copyright of Journal of Physical Oceanography is the property of American Meteorological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: The U2H map explains the effect of (sub)mesoscale currents on significant wave height statistics.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wang%2C+Han%22">Wang, Han</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> hannnwangus@gmail.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Villas+Bôas%2C+Ana+B%2E%22">Villas Bôas, Ana B.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Vanneste%2C+Jacques%22">Vanneste, Jacques</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Young%2C+William+R%2E%22">Young, William R.</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Physical+Oceanography%22">Journal of Physical Oceanography</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 56 Issue 5, p1-11. 11p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Water+currents%22">Water currents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Wave-current+interaction%22">Wave-current interaction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mesoscale+eddies%22">Mesoscale eddies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Wave+energy%22">Wave energy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gravity+waves%22">Gravity waves</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: 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]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Physical Oceanography is the property of American Meteorological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1175/JPO-D-25-0097.1
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 11
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      – SubjectFull: Water currents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Wave-current interaction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mesoscale eddies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Wave energy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gravity waves
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: The U2H map explains the effect of (sub)mesoscale currents on significant wave height statistics.
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            NameFull: Wang, Han
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            NameFull: Villas Bôas, Ana B.
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            NameFull: Vanneste, Jacques
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: May2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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            – TitleFull: Journal of Physical Oceanography
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