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Title: Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean-Generated Acoustic Wave Energy

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States). Department of Geological Sciences
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We present that colliding sea surface waves generate the ocean microbarom, an acoustic signal that may transmit significant energy to the upper atmosphere. Previous estimates of acoustic energy flux from the ocean microbarom and mountain-wind interactions are on the order of 0.01 to 1 mW/m2, heating the thermosphere by tens of Kelvins per day. We captured upgoing ocean microbarom waves with a balloon-borne infrasound microphone; the maximum acoustic energy flux was approximately 0.05 mW/m2. This is about half the average value reported in previous ground-based microbarom observations spanning 8 years. The acoustic flux from the microbarom episode described here may have heated the thermosphere by several Kelvins per day while the source persisted. Lastly, we suggest that ocean wave models could be used to parameterize acoustically generated heating of the upper atmosphere based on sea state.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000; NA0003525
OSTI ID:
1441465
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1438084
Report Number(s):
SAND--2018-4089J; 662763
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 45; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (30)

Data from: Upper atmosphere heating from ocean-generated acoustic wave energy
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Data from: Upper atmosphere heating from ocean-generated acoustic wave energy
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dataset April 2018
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Cited By (3)

Data from: Upper atmosphere heating from ocean-generated acoustic wave energy
  • Bowman, Daniel C.; Lees, Jonathan M.
  • Dryad Digital Repository-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: 10.1029/2018gl077737, 9 files https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.40877s4
dataset April 2018
Data from: Upper atmosphere heating from ocean-generated acoustic wave energy
  • Bowman, Daniel C.; Lees, Jonathan M.
  • Dryad Digital Repository-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: 10.1029/2018gl077737, 9 files https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.40877s4
dataset April 2018
Progressing emergent constraints on future climate change journal March 2019

Linked Research (1)

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Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
acoustic wave energy
ocean microbarom
thermospheric heating
acoustic dissipation
infrasound ocean-atmosphere coupling