Wave Induced Bubble Clouds and their Effect on Radiance in the Upper Ocean

Abstract

LONG-TERM GOALS. A goal of this project is to measure wave induced bubble clouds and their effect on radiance in the upper ocean and to address the fact that despite the fundamental importance of optical backscatter in the ocean it is still not possible to explain more than 5 to 10 percent of the particulate backscattering in the ocean based on known constituents even during periods with no active wave breaking (Terrill & Lewis, 2004). We want to investigate the role of upper ocean bubbles in these processes. In this work we are working closely with Svein Vagle (IOS). OBJECTIVES. During this project, which is a component of the much larger RadyO project, we are addressing the following scientific questions: How does radiant light fluctuate beneath a sea in which waves are breaking? Can this variability be explained in terms of measured bubble populations with wave scattering models using Mei theory as a kernel for light-bubble interactions? Can a predictive model be developed for radiant light that includes wave conditions and predicted subsurface bubble injections? The presence of surfactants on the surface of the bubbles decreases their buoyancy and therefore their rise speed. The presence of compounds on the bubbles will also modify their dissolution rate and will therefore change the dynamics of the temporal and spatial evolution of bubble clouds and their size distributions. Bubbles are effective at scattering light; thus a proper understanding of the role of surfactants on the bubble field is important to understanding observed radiance modulations. With our collaborators at IOS and the larger RadyO group of investigators, we will measure and model bubble injection and radiance fluctuations in the upper ocean during wave-breaking conditions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2007
Accession Number
ADA605405

Entities

People

  • David M. Farmer

Organizations

  • University of Rhode Island

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Backscattering
  • Detectors
  • Electrical Conductivity
  • Frequency
  • Gases
  • Instrumentation
  • Measurement
  • Oceans
  • Predictive Modeling
  • Radiance
  • Rhode Island
  • Scattering
  • Sonar
  • Surface Active Substances
  • Video Cameras
  • Video Recording
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science
  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers