'Bubblecam' used to study sound of surf

Acoustics of ocean's 'crash' tied to waves' tiny bubbles

The crash of the ocean's surf is connected to the bursting of hundreds of millions of tiny bubbles in a wave.

LA JOLLA, California (CNN) -- Researchers at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography are using a "bubblecam" to better understand the acoustics of ocean waves breaking on the beach.

The characteristic "crash" of surf is connected to the formation and then bursting of hundreds of millions of tiny bubbles as a wave crests and breaks, the researchers said in a report in this week's British journal Nature.

To understand how the bursting of the bubbles translates into the tell-tale sound of the sea, the scientists rigged up a camera in a wave tank in their lab. Slow-motion analysis of the bubblecam images showed how bubbles form as a wave crests and curls.

"Bubblecam is a high-speed video camera with an intricate lens and light focusing system that lets us take finely sliced pictures as waves break," said project scientist Dale Stokes.

'Big bang theory of bubbles'

By studying the size, distribution and ultimately the bursting of the bubbles, the scientists can figure out how the acoustics are created.

"These results are one more piece of information," said researcher Grant Deane. "Why do you get the number and sizes of bubbles you do in breaking waves? It's a very basic science question that we're trying to answer. It's like the big bang theory of bubbles."

Deane and Stokes say their research could have implications that reach beyond acoustics. Study of the bubbles will help oceanographers better understand the dynamics of gas exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere. Eventually, they said, their findings may lead to a new generation of sensors to monitor the role oceans play in global climate change.

The Scripps Institute of Oceanography is part of the University of California at San Diego.