The Influence of Whitecapping Waves on the Vertical Structure of Turbulence in a Shallow Estuarine Embayment

Abstract

The vertical distribution of the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate was measured using an array of four acoustic Doppler velocimeters in the shallow embayment of Grizzly Bay, San Francisco Bay, California. Owing to the combination of wind and tide forcing in this shallow system, the surface and bottom boundary layers overlapped. Whitecapping waves were generated for a significant spectral peak steepness greater than 0.05 or above a wind speed of 3 m s?1. Under conditions of whitecapping waves, the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate in the upper portion of the water column was greatly enhanced, relative to the predictions of wind stress wall-layer theory. Instead, the dissipation followed a modified deep-water breaking-wave scaling. Near the bed (bottom 10% of the water column), the dissipation measurements were either equal to or less than that predicted by wall-layer theory. Stratification due to concentration gradients in suspended sediment was identified as the likely cause for these periods of production?dissipation imbalance close to the bed. During 50% of the well-mixed conditions experienced in the month-long experiment, whitecapping waves provided the dominant source of turbulent kinetic energy over 90% or more of the water column.