Early Student Support for Direct Measurements of the Air-Sea Momentum Flux, Near-Surface Ocean Curre
Abstract
Our research group within the Ocean and Climate Physics Division at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) is seeking to extend its, long-term research capability for making fundamental in-situ air-sea interaction measurements. Specifically, we are carrying out le,ading edge observations and characterization of the temperature, roughness, and velocity of the sea surface. Our focus is on improvi,ng the accuracy of direct measurement of air-sea fluxes and near-surface properties for use in modeling applications, such as foreca,sting sea state, weather and climate. Recent research has shown that air-seainteraction processes are inadequately described. In co,ntrast to wind flow over flat surfaces, individual stress components for themarine-atmospheric boundary layer are not well-resolved;, their interactions are even less well determined. The complicating factor for the oceanic case is the presence of a free surface at, the boundary. As wind blows over the ocean, waves form, grow, interact with each other, and eventually break. During this process,, the balance of total forcing on the sea shifts from viscous (or tangential)stress to form drag. While this transition has been exte,nsively studied in the laboratory and through numerical modeling, it is exceptionally difficult to observe, and quantify, in the rea,l ocean.Ocean surface waves are at the center of atmosphere-ocean interactions, mediating the transfer of momentum, heat, and gas ac,ross the air-sea interface. However, there exist very few detailed observations of the role of short ocean wave growth and direction,ality in mediating these exchanges. This proposal seeks funding for early student support for a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) in, the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at Columbia University.The GRA will participate in the analysis of a large set of, ocean surface wave, near-surface hydrodynamics, and air-sea momentum flux data collected at the Air-Sea Interaction Tower (ASIT) be,tween late 2019 and early 2020. The GRA will work on the leading edge image processing techniques described throughout this proposed, effort. The GRA will explore measurements of shear stress and thermal gradient in the aqueous viscous sublayer and gravity-capillar,y ocean waves to quantify the coupling of air-sea fluxes, wave dynamics, near-surface currents and upper ocean processes. The GRA wi,ll be exposed to challenging computation algorithmic issues, as well as managing large data sets and their analysis products. This s,upport will provide an excellent opportunity to foster the development ofthe next generation of researchers in Oceanography and inst,rument development, and their interaction with the broader Air-Sea Interaction community.We also foreshadow the development of an in,novative research capability at LDEO for a novel dedicated field-deployable air-sea interaction measurement system called OceanSURF., OceanSURF will support the additionof an operational field-deployable (e.g., ship, aircraft, tower, etc.) fully-integrated system f,or the direct measurement of momentum and heat flux at the ocean surface(i.e., the shear stress and thermal gradient in the aqueous, viscous sublayer) and the profile of near-surface ocean current in the top few centimeters (e.g., wind drift, Stokes drift).
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 05, 2022
- Source ID
- N000142212183
Entities
People
- Christopher J Zappa
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
- United States Navy