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Infrasonic Observations of Open Ocean Swells in the Pacific: Deciphering the Song of the Sea

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Infrasound Monitoring for Atmospheric Studies

Abstract

Ocean waves produced during severe marine weather may generate infrasonic signals in the 0.1–0.5 Hz frequency band. Theory suggests that the source mechanism for these infrasound signals, known as microbaroms, is the nonlinear interaction of ocean surface waves. Multiple swells coexisting at any given point are able to radiate infrasonic waves if the ocean-wave spectrum contains swell components that are almost opposite in direction and of a nearly identical frequency. Global ocean-wave spectra provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Wavewatch 3 (WW3) model can be used to estimate the acoustic source pressure spectra induced by nonlinear ocean-wave interactions. Comparison of microbarom observations with surface weather, ocean-wave charts, and WW3-produced acoustic sources suggests that microbarom source regions occur in locations that contain opposing wave trains, instead of exclusively from regions of marine storminess.

The arrival azimuths of coherent microbarom signals observed by the global infrasound array network are associated with high ocean-wave activity, the dominant wind directions in the troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere, and the thermal structure of the atmosphere. Some of the seasonal trends in the microbarom observations can be explained by the winds in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere, whereas some of the daily variability can be explained by the winds in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. However, coherent energy from powerful swells may overcome the wind-carried microbarom signals and arrive to the station through thermospheric ducting. Our observations suggest that the wind-speed fluctuations in the troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere may be underestimated in the atmospheric models, and elevated leaky infrasonic waveguides may often promote long-range propagation.

We review contemporary observations and interpretations of microbarom signals recorded by the global infrasound network and discuss the potential of using these signals for acoustic remote sensing of hurricanes and severe sea states.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded in part by Defense Threat Reduction Agency contracts DTRA01-00-C-0106 and DTRA01-01-C-0077. We express our gratitude to H. Tolman for his guidance on the use of WW3. Many thanks to S. Businger, P. Wittmann, and J. Bhattacharyya for their contributions, and to S. Collins and Surfline, Inc., for their encouragement during this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. HIGP , SOEST , University of Hawaii, Manoa, 73-4460 Queen Kaahumanu Hwy., #119, Kailua-Kona, HI, 96740-2638, USA

    M. Garcés

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  1. M. Garcés
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  2. M. Willis
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  3. A. Le Pichon
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Correspondence to M. Garcés .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dépt. Analyse Surveillance, CEA, Bruyères-le-Châtel, 91680, France

    Alexis Le Pichon

  2. Dépt. Analyse Surveillance, CEA, Bruyères-le-Châtel, 91680, France

    Elisabeth Blanc

  3. Service d'Aéronomie (SA), CNRS, Verrieres-Le-Buisson CX, 91371, France

    Alain Hauchecorne

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Garcés, M., Willis, M., Le Pichon, A. (2010). Infrasonic Observations of Open Ocean Swells in the Pacific: Deciphering the Song of the Sea. In: Le Pichon, A., Blanc, E., Hauchecorne, A. (eds) Infrasound Monitoring for Atmospheric Studies. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9508-5_7

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