HR: 17:50h
AN: OS14B-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Observations and Numerical Simulations of Fetch-Limited Waves in the Gulf of Tehuantepec
AU: * Romero, L
EM: leromero@ucsd.edu
AF: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr. MC:0213, La Jolla, CA 92093 United States
AU: Kleiss, J M
EM: jkleiss@ucsd.edu
AF: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr. MC:0213, La Jolla, CA 92093 United States
AU: Melville, W K
EM: wmelville@ucsd.edu
AF: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr. MC:0213, La Jolla, CA 92093 United States
AB: The Gulf of Tehuantepec is well known for having strong offshore winds, which occur predominantly during the winter months, when significant atmospheric pressure differences develop between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, forcing winds through a mountain gap at the head of the gulf. During the Gulf of Tehuantepec Experiment (GOTEX), conducted in February 2004, we made surface-wave measurements using a scanning lidar (Airborne Topographic Mapper, ATM) on the NSF/NCAR C-130 aircraft during fetch-limited conditions with winds speeds ranging from 10 to 25 m/s. We present direct comparisons between the observed evolution of the wave field and numerical simulations using a 3rd generation wind-wave model (SWAN). In particular, we compare the observed evolution of the directional spectra to that simulated by the model. Results are discussed in the context of previous field observations and numerical investigations.
DE: 4560 Surface waves and tides (1222)
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005