Effects of microplastics and surfactants on surface roughness of water waves
Abstract We study the flow physics underlying the recently developed remote sensing capability of detecting oceanic microplastics, which is based on the measurable surface roughness reduction induced by the presence of microplastics on the ocean surface. In particular, we are interested in whether t...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29088-9 |
| _version_ | 1811171699016597504 |
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| author | Yukun Sun Thomas Bakker Christopher Ruf Yulin Pan |
| author_facet | Yukun Sun Thomas Bakker Christopher Ruf Yulin Pan |
| author_sort | Yukun Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We study the flow physics underlying the recently developed remote sensing capability of detecting oceanic microplastics, which is based on the measurable surface roughness reduction induced by the presence of microplastics on the ocean surface. In particular, we are interested in whether this roughness reduction is caused by the microplastics as floating particles, or by surfactants which follow similar transport paths as microplastics. For this purpose, we experimentally test the effects of floating particles and surfactants on surface roughness, quantified by the mean square slope (MSS), with waves generated by a mechanical wave maker or by wind. For microplastics, we find that their effect on MSS critically depends on the surface area fraction of coverage. The damping by particles is observed only for fractions above O (5–10%), much higher than the realistic ocean condition. For surfactants, their damping effects on both mechanically generated waves and wind waves are quantified, which are shown to be much more significant than that by microplastics. Several new mechanisms/relations for roughness damping by surfactants are also identified. The implications of these experimental results to remote sensing are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:19:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7113428708d2489799fb16e73899d16a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:19:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-7113428708d2489799fb16e73899d16a2023-02-05T12:12:24ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-02-0113111810.1038/s41598-023-29088-9Effects of microplastics and surfactants on surface roughness of water wavesYukun Sun0Thomas Bakker1Christopher Ruf2Yulin Pan3Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of MichiganDepartment of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of MichiganDepartment of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of MichiganDepartment of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of MichiganAbstract We study the flow physics underlying the recently developed remote sensing capability of detecting oceanic microplastics, which is based on the measurable surface roughness reduction induced by the presence of microplastics on the ocean surface. In particular, we are interested in whether this roughness reduction is caused by the microplastics as floating particles, or by surfactants which follow similar transport paths as microplastics. For this purpose, we experimentally test the effects of floating particles and surfactants on surface roughness, quantified by the mean square slope (MSS), with waves generated by a mechanical wave maker or by wind. For microplastics, we find that their effect on MSS critically depends on the surface area fraction of coverage. The damping by particles is observed only for fractions above O (5–10%), much higher than the realistic ocean condition. For surfactants, their damping effects on both mechanically generated waves and wind waves are quantified, which are shown to be much more significant than that by microplastics. Several new mechanisms/relations for roughness damping by surfactants are also identified. The implications of these experimental results to remote sensing are discussed.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29088-9 |
| spellingShingle | Yukun Sun Thomas Bakker Christopher Ruf Yulin Pan Effects of microplastics and surfactants on surface roughness of water waves Scientific Reports |
| title | Effects of microplastics and surfactants on surface roughness of water waves |
| title_full | Effects of microplastics and surfactants on surface roughness of water waves |
| title_fullStr | Effects of microplastics and surfactants on surface roughness of water waves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of microplastics and surfactants on surface roughness of water waves |
| title_short | Effects of microplastics and surfactants on surface roughness of water waves |
| title_sort | effects of microplastics and surfactants on surface roughness of water waves |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29088-9 |
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