Microphysics of Air-Sea Exchanges

Abstract

The objectives are to achieve a better understanding of the physics of the surface temperature structure and near-surface temperature gradients; specifically how they respond to different flux and wind regimes. An extensive set of measurements were taken in the Air-Sea Interaction Saltwater Tank (ASIST) at RSMAS under controlled conditions of wind speed and air-sea temperature difference to examine the behavior of the thermal skin layer. Air-water fluxes were controlled by changing the water temperature in the tank. Throughout the course of the experiment, air-water temperature differences were varied from 15 K to + 15 K in increments of 5 K, and the wind speed was varied from 0 to 10 ms-i in increments of 1 ms-i. Analysis has been undertaken in terms of the surface geometry, the subsurface temperature vertical microstructure, and the two-dimensional temperature variability at the water surface.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 30, 2006
Accession Number
ADA466972

Entities

People

  • Benjamin G. Ward
  • M. A. Donelan
  • O. B. Brown
  • Peter J. Minnett
  • R. H. Evans
  • W. R. Mcgillis

Organizations

  • University of Miami

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Boundary Layer
  • Cameras
  • Detectors
  • Distribution Functions
  • Energy
  • Geometry
  • Heat Flux
  • Lasers
  • Layers
  • Light Sources
  • Mass Transfer
  • Measurement
  • Physics
  • Surface Temperature
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Two Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.