Interactions between Rain and Wind Waves

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Abstract
Effects of rain on surface waves have been investigated in a circulating wind-wave tank. Surface displacement and slope spectra under different wind velocities were measured near the upwind and downwind edges of a region with simulated rains. Spatially uniform rains of varied intensities with drop size of about 2.6 mm and spacing of 3 cm were used. Damping of surface waves by rain was observed in the frequency region of 2–5 Hz, and there was an increase in the damping rate with rain intensity. The effective eddy viscosity in the rain-induced mixed layer was found to be an order of magnitude greater than the molecular viscosity of water. As for rain-induced ripples, spectral densities of the surface slope in the frequency range of 10–100 Hz increased with the rain intensity. However, at the highest wind velocity (6.34 m s−1) of the present experiment, the ripple structure was influenced primarily by wind, with rain introducing no observable effects.

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