Thermal surface signatures of ship propeller wakes in stratified waters

When a ship moves in temperature stratified water, e.g., in the ocean diurnal thermocline, the propeller(s) as well as the turbulent boundary layer of the hull mix the surface water with underlying colder fluid. As a result, when observed from above, a temperature “wake signature” of ∼1–2 °C may be detected at the water surface. To quantify this phenomenon, theoretical modeling and physical experiments were conducted. The dominant processes responsible for thermal wake generation were identified and parameterized. Most important similarity parameters were derived and estimates for wake signature contrast were made. To verify model predictions, scaled experiments were conducted, with the water surface temperature measured using a sensitive infrared camera. Comparison of laboratory measurements with model estimates has shown satisfactory agreement, both qualitative and quantitatively. Estimates for ocean ship-wake scenarios are also given, which are supported by available field observations.