Analysis 02: OWF Effect on the Ocean - On the Effect of Offshore Wind Farms on the Atmosphere and Ocean Dynamics - page 108

a

b c

d

e f

Fig. 5.37 Comparison of OWF induced changes on ocean variables based on F01 ( blue ) and F03
( red ) over positions defined in Fig. 5.36 at 16-m depth. Ocean variables are (a/b/c) velocity
components u / v / w ,(d) temperature, (e) salinity, and (f) density. COR gives correlation, and RMSD
gives the root mean square differences along positions

Upshot
As expected, meteorological forcing mainly affects the upper layer of the ocean.
While the impact on dynamics is very weak, except at depth of the thermocline, the
impact on temperature and, especially, on salinity is dominant. While temperature
discrepancies occur till 12-m depths, the effect on salinity is stronger and includes
layers till 18-m depths in the downwelling area. The use of forcing F03 finally
decreases upper temperatures, which reduces gradients and weaken vertical
exchange, while the drop of thermocline from 12 to 14 m increases vertical
exchange in layers below. F03 has no impact on the spatial dimension of the
OWF

s effect on the ocean mainly because the surface elevation is equal to F01.
Merely the drop of thermocline also drops extrema of vertical cells.

'

5.3.6 Analyzing OWF Effect on the Ocean Depending
on the Depth of the Ocean

Variations in ocean depth constitute a barrier for offshore wind farm construction
regarding fundaments and underwater installations. Engineering tests of swimming
fundaments for wind turbines like the the Hywind Project 2009 of the Norwegian
oil combined with StatoilHydro; the WindFloat Project 2011 at the coast of