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Detection of nonlinear waves and their contribution to ocean wave spectra Part I: Theoretical consideration

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Abstract

This is a Part I of a paper of nonlinearities of wind waves in the deep open ocean. First, considerations are given in order to verify the theoretical expression for bound waves from observed data. We compare the contribution of bound waves and double Bragg scattering to the second-order scattering, and we show that the contribution of bound waves is larger, and that bound waves can be detected by measuring the Doppler spectra of HF (high-frequency) radio wave scattering from the sea surface. Moreover, if the theory of the HF radio wave scattering from the sea surface is verified, so is the second-order perturbation theory for bound waves. Then, the contributions of bound waves to ocean wave spectra are investigated on the basis of the nonlinear theory. The bound waves are shown to modify frequency spectra and wave directional distributions at higher frequencies, and it is shown that although the modifications of frequency spectra are smaller for a two-dimensional field case than for a one-dimensional field case, they are not negligible at higher frequencies. On the other hand, the modifications of wave directional distributions are shown to be significant at higher frequencies. These discussions become significant only when bound wave predictions are verified in the open ocean. Consequently, it is shown that nonlinearities of water waves are important in considering both radio wave scattering from the sea surface and the detailed structures of ocean wave spectra at high frequencies.

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Hisaki, Y., Tokuda, M. Detection of nonlinear waves and their contribution to ocean wave spectra Part I: Theoretical consideration. J Oceanogr 51, 385–406 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02286388

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02286388

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