| Wind energy input into the ocean is primarily produced through the surface waves. The total rate of this energy source, integrated over the world oceans, is estimated at 60TW, based on empirical formula and results from a numerical model of surface waves. Thus, surface wave energy input is about 46 times largerthan the energy input into the surface geostrophic current (1.3TW) and 17 timeslarger than the total tidal dissipation rate (3.5TW). Most of the sueface waveenergy input is concentrated within the Antarctic Circumpolar Currents. The total energy input through surface waves is transferred into other formsand locations by three mechanisms: wave-current interaction, wave-wave interaction,and dissipation. The amount of energy going through wave-current interaction isunclear. The wave-wave interaction transfers energy from short waves into longwaves. All the input energy is either trandferred into other form of energy, suchas currents, internal waves and turbulence, or eventually dissipated. The dissipationis primarily through two channels: wave breaking in the open ocean dissipatesabout 36TW of energy and waves breaking and dissipation along the beaches take upabout 20TW of energy. |
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