J. B. Edson

Bulk parameterization of air-sea fluxes for Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere Coupled-Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment

This paper describes the various physical processes relating near-surface atmospheric and oceanographic bulk variables ; their relationship to the surface fluxes of momentum, sensible heat, and latent heat ; and their expression in a bulk flux algorithm. The algorithm follows the standard Monin-Obukhov similarity approach for near-surface meteorological measurements but includes separate models for the oceans cool skin and the diurnal warm layer, which are used to derive true skin temperature from the bulk temperature measured at some depth near the surface. The basic structure is an outgrowth of the Liu-Katsaros-Businger [Liu et al., 1979] method, with modifications to include a different specification of the roughness/stress relationship, a gustiness velocity to account for the additional flux induced by boundary layer scale variability, and profile functions obeying the convective limit. Additionally, we have considered the contributions of the sensible heat carried by precipitation and the requirement that the net dry mass flux be zero (the so-called Webb correction [Webb et al., 1980]). The algorithm has been tuned to fit measurements made on the R/V Moana Wave in the three different cruise legs made during the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment. These measurements yielded 1622 fifty-min averages of fluxes and bulk variables in the wind speed range from 0.5 to 10 m s -1 . The analysis gives statistically reliable values for the Charnock [1955] constant (a = 0.011) and the gustiness parameter (β = 1.25). An overall mean value for the latent heat flux, neutral bulk-transfer coefficient was 1.11 x 10 -3 , declining slightly with increasing wind speed. Mean values for the sensible and latent heat fluxes were 9.1 and 103.5 W m -2 ; mean values for the Webb and rain heat fluxes were 2.5 and 4.5 W m -2 . Accounting for all factors, the net surface heat transfer to the ocean was 17.9 ± 10 W m -2 .

Bulk Parameterization of Air-Sea Fluxes: Updates and Verification for the COARE Algorithm

Abstract In 1996, version 2.5 of the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) bulk algorithm was published, and it has become one of the most frequently used algorithms in the air–sea interaction community. This paper describes steps taken to improve the algorithm in several ways. The number of iterations to solve for stability has been shortened from 20 to 3, and adjustments have been made to the basic profile stability functions. The scalar transfer coefficients have been redefined in terms of the mixing ratio, which is the fundamentally conserved quantity, rather than the measured water vapor mass concentration. Both the velocity and scalar roughness lengths have been changed. For the velocity roughness, the original fixed value of the Charnock parameter has been replaced by one that increases with wind speeds of between 10 and 18 m s−1. The scalar roughness length parameterization has been simplified to fit both an early set of NOAA/Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL) experiments and...

Direct covariance air-sea CO2 fluxes

Direct covariance air-sea CO2 flux measurements over the open ocean are reported. These measurements were performed during June 1998 in the North Atlantic within a significant CO2 sink. These direct estimates are in general agreement with the traditional geochemical isotope constraints. The covariance, or eddy correlation, technique directly measures the air-sea CO2 flux over hour timescales by correlating the fluctuations of CO2 with the turbulent vertical velocity fluctuations in the atmospheric surface layer. These measurements quantify the transfer of CO2 between the atmosphere and ocean over a range of wind speeds and improve the understanding of the environmental factors controlling the flux. The relatively large flux of CO2 in the study region, together with improved analytical techniques, facilitated the measurements. The half-hour mean wind speeds varied from 0.9 to 16.3 m s−1 over the month-long experiment. The mean pCO2 during the study period was −85.8±16.0 μatm, and the mean covariance CO2 flux was estimated at 4.6 mol m−2 yr−1. The average observed wind speed was 7.7 m s−1. This is in close agreement with 3.9 mol m−2 yr−1, the approximate CO2 flux based on 14C parameterizations at this wind speed. At high winds, where the relationship between gas physical properties, surface processes, and air-sea gas exchange is still elusive, direct CO2 flux measurements are crucial. The measurements for winds in excess of 11 m s−1 show a general enhancement of gas transfer velocity over previous indirect measurements, and it is believed that this enhancement can be explained by the fact that the indirect methods cannot discriminate surface process variability such as atmospheric stability, upper ocean mixing, wave age, wave breaking, or surface films.

Parameterization and Micrometeorological Measurement of Air–Sea Gas Transfer

Because of the combination of smallconcentrations and/or small fluxes, the determinationof air–sea gas fluxes presents unusual measurementdifficulties. Direct measurements (i.e., eddycorrelation) of the fluxes are rarely attempted. Inthe last decade, there has been an intense scientificeffort to improve measurement techniques and to placebulk parameterizations of gas transfer on firmertheoretical grounds. Oceanic tracer experiments,near-surface mean concentration profiles, eddyaccumulation, and direct eddy covariance methods haveall been used. Theoretical efforts have focusedprimarily in the realm of characterizing the transferproperties of the oceanic molecular sublayer. Recentmajor field efforts organized by the U.S.A. (GASEX-98) andthe European Union (ASGAMAGE) have yielded atmospheric-derivedresults much closer to those from oceanographicmethods. In this paper, we review the physical basisof a bulk-to-bulk gas transfer parameterization thatis generalized for solubility and Schmidt number. Wealso discuss various aspects of recent sensor andtechnique developments used for direct measurementsand demonstrate experimental progress with resultsfrom ASGAMAGE and GASEX-98. It is clear that sensornoise, sensitivity, and cross talk with other speciesand even ship motion corrections still need improvement foraccurate measurements of trace gas exchange over theocean. Significant work remains to resolve issuesassociated with the effects of waves, bubbles, andsurface films.

Evolution of stratification over the New England shelf during the Coastal Mixing and Optics study, August 1996-June 1997

[1] To investigate the processes influencing the evolution of stratification over continental shelves a moored array was deployed on the New England shelf from August 1996 to June 1997. Temperature, salinity, and current observations spanning the water column were obtained at four midshelf sites, along with meteorological measurements at a central site to estimate the wind stress and the surface heat and freshwater fluxes. Four processes contributed to the seasonal evolution of the stratification. (1) The breakdown of the seasonal thermocline in fall was primarily due to wind forcing, not surface cooling, and occurred in four discrete steps associated with westward, along-coast wind stress events. Eastward wind stress events of similar magnitude did not reduce the stratification. (2) The water at midshelf remained stratified throughout most of the winter due to saltier shelf-slope front water displaced onshore by anomalously strong and persistent eastward alongcoast wind stresses. (3) The gradual redevelopment of the thermocline, beginning in April, was primarily a one-dimensional response to increasing surface heat flux. (4) Stratification in early April and throughout May was substantially enhanced by low-salinity water associated with river runoff from southern New England that was driven eastward and offshore by upwelling-favorable (eastward) wind stresses.

Sea surface drag coefficients in the Risø Air Sea Experiment

This study examines the dependence of the computed drag coefficient on wind speed, stability, fetch, flux sampling problems, and method of calculation of the drag coefficient. The analysis is applied to data collected at a tower 2 km off the coast of Denmark during the Riso Air Sea Experiment (RASEX). Various flux sampling problems are evaluated to eliminate unreliable fluxes. Large drag coefficients are observed with weak large-scale flow. However, the value of the computed drag coefficient at weak wind speeds is sensitive to flux sampling problems and the method of calculation of the drag coefficient, which might be a general characteristic of weak winds. The drag coefficient is significantly larger for short fetch conditions, particularly at strong wind speeds.

Wind Stress Vector over Ocean Waves

Abstract Previous investigations of the wind stress in the marine surface layer have primarily focused on determining the stress magnitude (momentum flux) and other scalar variables (e.g., friction velocity, drag coefficient, roughness length). However, the stress vector is often aligned with a direction different from that of the mean wind flow. In this paper, the focus is on the study of the stress vector direction relative to the mean wind and surface-wave directions. Results based on measurements made during three field campaigns onboard the R/P Floating Instrument Platform (FLIP) in the Pacific are discussed. In general, the wind stress is a vector sum of the 1) pure shear stress (turbulent and viscous) aligned with the mean wind shear, 2) wind-wave-induced stress aligned with the direction of the pure wind-sea waves, and 3) swell-induced stress aligned with the swell direction. The direction of the wind-wave-induced stress and the swell-induced stress components may coincide with, or be opposite to,...

Heat Flux in the Coastal Zone

Various difficulties with application of Monin–Obukhov similarity theory are surveyed including the influence of growing waves, advection and internal boundary-layer development. These complications are normally important with offshore flow. The transfer coefficient for heat is computed from eddy correlation data taken at a mast two kilometres off the Danish coast in RASEX. For these coastal zone data, the thermal roughness length shows no well-defined relation to the momentum roughness length or roughness Reynolds number, in contrast to previous theories. The variation of the momentum roughness length is dominated by wave state. In contrast, the thermal roughness length shows significant dependence on wave state only for small values of wave age where the mixing is apparently enhanced by wave breaking. The development of thin internal boundary layers with offshore flow substantially reduces the heat transfer and thermal roughness length but has no obvious influence on momentum roughness length. A new formulation of the thermal roughness length based on the internal boundary-layer depth is calibrated to the RASEX data. For the very stable case, the turbulence is mainly detached from the surface and existing formulations do not apply.As an alternative to adjusting the thermal roughness length, the transfer coefficient is related directly to the stability and the internal boundary-layer depth. This avoids specification of roughness lengths resulting from the usual integration of the non-dimensional temperature function. The resulting stability function is simpler than previous ones and satisfies free convection similarity theory without introduction of the gustiness factor. The internal boundary layer also influences the moisture transfer coefficient.

The Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory: a long term facility for monitoring air-sea processes

The desire to gain a better understanding of coastal processes over the past decade has led to an increased focus on coastal research in the scientific community. As an estimated 50% of humanity lives within 100 miles of a coastline and as national defense initiatives shift towards littoral regions, this interest in coastal processes will continue to grow. The south shore of the island of Marthas Vineyard is an ideal location for the study of the near-shore environment, due to its uninterrupted, south-facing beach with open ocean exposure. This area is frequented by all types of weather systems, including winter storms, hurricanes, and calm summer conditions. The seasonal variations provide a wide range of biological activity as well. To support long-term research in these areas, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), supported by the National Science Foundation, is currently developing and installing a coastal observatory system on the south shore of the Vineyard in Edgartown, Massachusetts.

Vertical structure of turbulence in offshore flow during RASEX

The adjustment of the boundary layer immediately downstream froma coastline is examined based on two levels of eddy correlation data collected on a mast at the shore and six levels of eddy correlation data and profiles of mean variables collected from a mast 2 km offshore during the Risø Air-Sea Experiment. The characteristics of offshore flow are studied in terms of case studies and inter-variable relationships for the entire one-month data set. A turbulent kinetic energy budget is constructed for each case study.The buoyancy generation of turbulence is small compared to shear generation and dissipation. However, weakly stable and weakly unstable cases exhibit completely different vertical structure. With flow of warm air from land over cooler water, modest buoyancy destruction of turbulence and reduced shear generation of turbulence over the less rough sea surface cause the turbulence to rapidly weaken downstream from the coast. The reduction of downward mixing of momentum by the stratification leads to smaller roughness lengths compared to the unstable case. Shear generation at higher levels and advection of stronger turbulence from land often lead to an increase of stress and turbulence energy with height and downward transport of turbulence energy toward the surface.With flow of cool air over a warmer sea surface, a convective internal boundary layer develops downstream from the coast. An overlying relatively thick layer of downward buoyancy flux (virtual temperature flux) is sometimes maintained by shear generation in the accelerating offshore flow.