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

Abstract

Abstract 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/m 2 , 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/m 2 . 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. We suggest that ocean wave models could be used to parameterize acoustically generated heating of the upper atmosphere based on sea state.

Authors:
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
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1441465
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1438084
Report Number(s):
SAND-2018-4089J
Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276; 662763
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000; NA0003525
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Geophysical Research Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 45; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; acoustic wave energy; ocean microbarom; thermospheric heating; acoustic dissipation; infrasound ocean-atmosphere coupling

Citation Formats

Bowman, D. C., and Lees, J. M. Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean-Generated Acoustic Wave Energy. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1029/2018GL077737.
Bowman, D. C., & Lees, J. M. Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean-Generated Acoustic Wave Energy. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077737
Bowman, D. C., and Lees, J. M. Fri . "Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean-Generated Acoustic Wave Energy". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077737. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1441465.
@article{osti_1441465,
title = {Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean-Generated Acoustic Wave Energy},
author = {Bowman, D. C. and Lees, J. M.},
abstractNote = {Abstract 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/m 2 , 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/m 2 . 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. We suggest that ocean wave models could be used to parameterize acoustically generated heating of the upper atmosphere based on sea state.},
doi = {10.1029/2018GL077737},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
number = 10,
volume = 45,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Fri Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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Cited by: 11 works
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Data from: Upper atmosphere heating from ocean-generated acoustic wave energy
dataset, April 2018

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Progressing emergent constraints on future climate change
journal, March 2019


Data from: Upper atmosphere heating from ocean-generated acoustic wave energy
dataset, April 2018

  • Bowman, Daniel C.; Lees, Jonathan M.
  • Dryad Digital Repository-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: 10.1029/2018gl077737, 9 files
  • DOI: 10.5061/dryad.40877s4

Data from: Upper atmosphere heating from ocean-generated acoustic wave energy
dataset, April 2018

  • Bowman, Daniel C.; Lees, Jonathan M.
  • Dryad Digital Repository-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: 10.1029/2018gl077737, 9 files
  • DOI: 10.5061/dryad.40877s4