Abstract
Taylor-Grörtler vortices are longitudinal vortices resulting from a centrifugal instability. They are generated in the flow having a curved streamline with an increasing velocity in the direction of decreasing curvature.
It is shown that the air flow above wind waves and swells also satisfies locally the condition of the centrifugal instability. Numerical calculations indicate the possibility of generation of Taylor-Görtler vortices on the trough of sea waves. For example, when a wind of about 12.2 m/s at 10-m level is blowing over sea waves of the wave length of 15 m like the swell, the critical water wave height beyond which the vortices may be generated is about 0.5 m, and the critical wave length and the height of center of the generated vortices are about 24 m and 3.7 m, respectively. Further, about the relations between the generation of vortices and wind waves, it is shown that the condition of their generation is satisfied at the trough of waves for early stages of the wave generation.
In conclusion, it is expected that the Taylor-Görtler vortices change the wind profile along the sea surface, and also, play some part in the growth of wind waves, especially in the formation of their three dimensional structure.
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Tokuda, M. Taylor-Görtler vortices expected in the air flow on sea surface waves—I. Journal of the Oceanographical Society of Japan 28, 242–253 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02109294
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02109294