Air entrainment by breaking waves
Abstract
We present an estimate of the total volume of entrained air by breaking waves in the open ocean, based on a model for a single breaking wave and the statistics of breaking waves measured in the field and described by the average length of breaking crests moving with speeds in the range (c,c + dc) per unit area of ocean surface, Λ(c)dc, introduced by Phillips (1985). By extending the single breaking wave model to the open ocean, we show that the volume flux of air entrained by breaking waves, VA (volume per unit ocean area per unit time, a velocity), is given by the third moment of Λ(c), modulated by a function of the wave slope. Using field measurements of the distribution Λ(c) and the wave spectrum, we obtain an estimate of the total volume flux of air entrained by breaking for a wide range of wind and wave conditions. These results pave the way for accurate remote sensing of the air entrained by breaking waves and subsequent estimates of the associated gas transfer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 24, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1002/2017gl072883
Entities
People
- Ken Melville
- Luc Deike
- Luc Lenain
Organizations
- High Meadows Environmental Institute
- National Science Foundation
- Office of Naval Research
- Princeton University
- University of California, San Diego