Researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Applied Physics, working alongside collaborators from Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, have determined that the ocean’s surface during storms develops enhanced smoothness due to a substantial quantity of sea foam and the specific characteristics of sea spray. This phenomenon, as reported by TASS citing the press service of the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) and a publication at journals.ametsoc.org, contributes to wind intensification and escalates the overall impact of storms.
This recent investigation has successfully elucidated the behavior of the sea surface as it is modified by hurricane-force winds. It has been established that the roughness of the water surface diminishes as wind speed increases during periods of potent winds, resulting in a smoother surface.
These findings were achieved as part of a project financially backed by the RSF. The scientific team utilized a comprehensive array of contemporary apparatus in their work. Specifically, they employed the high-speed wind-wave flume experimental setup, which was developed at the Institute of Applied Physics of the RAS. The central piece of equipment, however, was the NAC-3X ultra-high-speed camera, capable of capturing video footage at rates up to 10,000 frames per second.
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