A REMOTE-SENSING STUDY OF A SURFACE SHIP WAKE

The turbulent wake of the USNS Hayes, a twin hulled ship, was imaged simultaneously by a thermal infrared scanner, an X-band coherent microwave radar and a 35 mm strip camera mounted in an NRL RP-3A aircraft. Extensive hydrographic, oceanographic and meteorological data were obtained during the surface wake study. The turbulent motions and the presence of the monomolecular film at the wake surface strongly influenced the centimetre scale roughness. The results contribute significantly to the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the formation of both the turbulent and thermal wakes under low to moderate winds in a calm sea.