Thermodynamic Feedback Between Clouds and the Ocean Surface Mixed Layer

Abstract

A cloud-ocean planetary boundary layer (OPBL) feedback mechanism is presented and tested in this paper. Water vapor, evaporated from the ocean surface or transported by the large-scale air flow, often forms convective clouds under a conditionally unstable lapse rate. The variable cloud cover and rainfall may base positive and negative feedback with the ocean mixed layer temperature and salinity structure. The coupling of the simplified Kuo's (1965) cumulus cloud model to the Kraus-Turner's (1967) ocean mixed layer model shows the existence of this feedback mechanism. The theory also predicts the generation of low frequency oscillation in the atmosphere and oceans.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 20, 1989
Accession Number
ADA480189

Entities

People

  • Peter Cheng Chu
  • Roland W. Garwood Jr.

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Air Flow
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Boundary Layer
  • Cloud Cover
  • Clouds
  • Cumulus Clouds
  • Feedback
  • Information Operations
  • Lapse Rate
  • Layers
  • Meteorology
  • Oceans
  • Transition Temperature
  • Water Vapor

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Remote Sensing.
  • Control Systems Engineering.
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers