Understanding Air-Sea Coupling Processes and Coupled Model Predictions Using GOTEX Measurements and COAMPS/NCOM and Aircraft Measurements for Understanding Air-Sea Coupling and Improving Coupled Model Predictions

Abstract

The long-term goal of this project is to improve physical parameterizations of the coupled model. The NPS project has two components, one is to use previous aircraft measurements from the Gulf of Tehuantepec (GoT) and the coupled COAMPS/NCOM to examine air-sea coupling processes and the performance of the coupled model; the other is to obtain new measurements with the NOAA P-3 over the Indian Ocean as part of the Dynamics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO) and ONR Litterol Littoral Air-Sea Processes (LASP) DRI. The objectives of the GOTEX-related project are to explore the coupled atmospheric boundary layer and upper ocean processes through in-depth data analyses of GOTEX (Gulf of Tehuantepec Experiment) measurements to improve our understanding of the small-scale spatial and temporal variability within the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and the ocean mixed layer (OML) in the gap outflow region, to determine the feedback process and the dominant mechanisms for cooling of SST within the Gulf of Tehuantepec (GoT), and to explore the simulated atmospheric and oceanic responses to the gap outflow events using the coupled COAMPS/NCOMS. The objectives of DYNAMO/LASP project were to address the basic science questions/hypotheses regarding air-sea interaction and tropical convection with the unique standalone suite of measurements on the NOAA WP-3D for concurrent atmosphere and oceanic sampling, and to bridge observations from fixed locations on ships and islands. The objectives of the NRL project are to obtain vertical profiles of the solar and IR irradiance throughout the atmospheric column in order to characterize the evolution of the solar and IR heating/cooling rate profiles for an MJO cycle. Also, to use the measured solar/IR irradiance profiles as input to, and validation of, the Navy's coupled ocean/atmosphere model, COAMPS.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2012
Accession Number
ADA574571

Entities

People

  • Anthony Bucholtz
  • Qing Wang

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Boundary Layer
  • Convection
  • Couplings
  • Data Analysis
  • Heat Energy
  • Heat Flux
  • Indian Ocean
  • Latent Heat
  • Layers
  • Measurement
  • Sea Surface Temperature
  • Simulations
  • Surface Temperature
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Thermodynamic Properties
  • Wind Stress

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers