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 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, 2003
Accession Number
ADA630301

Entities

People

  • Jeffrey R. French
  • Tamara K. Grimmett

Organizations

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Altimeters
  • Atmospheres
  • Atmospheric Motion
  • Boundary Layer
  • Doppler Effect
  • Energy Transfer
  • Frequency
  • Heat Flux
  • Laser Altimeters
  • Latent Heat
  • Layers
  • Measurement
  • Ocean Waves
  • Research Aircraft
  • Wave Propagation
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers

Technology Areas

  • Space