Surface Gravity Waves and Coupled Marine Boundary Layers
Abstract
The long term objective of our research is to advance the understanding of air-sea interaction and the coupling between the atmospheric and oceanic boundary layers (the ABL and OBL) mediated by the surface gravity wave field, in order ultimately to develop better parameterizations of the boundary layers and surface fluxes for coupled, large-scale numerical models. Turbulence-resolving, large-eddy and direct numerical simulations (LES and DNS) are the main tools to be used to investigate interactions among the ABL, OBL, and the air-sea interface. Using numerically generated databases, we intend to investigate: (1) vertical heat and momentum fluxes carried by wave-correlated winds and currents; (2) enhanced small-scale, turbulent energy, mixing, and dissipation due both to enhanced wave-correlated wind and current shears and to wave breaking; and (3) wave-averaged influences due to mean Lagrangian currents (Stokes drift) that give rise to coherent Langmuir circulations in the ocean. These mechanisms will be considered for a variety of surface wave states. Finally, we intend to make an effort to connect our simulation results with the proposed Coupled Boundary Layers Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST) field campaigns.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA609809
Entities
People
- Chin-ho Moeng
- James C. McWilliams
- Peter P Sullivan
Organizations
- National Center for Atmospheric Research