Determination of the Spatial Variation of the Atmosphere and Ocean Wave Fields in Extremely Light Wind Regimes

Abstract

Existing parameterizations of heat, moisture, and momentum fluxes in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) perform poorly under weak wind regimes, especially in regions of inhomogeneity. These problems are due to a variety of processes (e.g., averaging techniques, gravity capillary wave spacing, surfactants and surface tension, free convection effects, frequency-dependent differences between wind, waves, and stress). In order to address these various forcing mechanisms, high-resolution, high-fidelity atmospheric and surface wave data are needed to describe energy exchange across the air-sea interface. The overall long-term goal of the Coupled Boundary Layers and Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST) low-wind initiative is to acquire these data in order to better understand air-sea interaction in extremely light wind regimes.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2001
Accession Number
ADA624788

Entities

People

  • Gennaro H. Crescenti
  • Timothy L. Crawford

Organizations

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Atmospheric Motion
  • Boundaries
  • Boundary Layer
  • Capillary Waves
  • Energy
  • Energy Transfer
  • Frequency
  • Global Positioning Systems
  • High Resolution
  • Laser Altimeters
  • Layers
  • Measurement
  • Ocean Waves
  • Surface Tension
  • Surface Waves
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

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

Technology Areas

  • Space