Observations of Velocity Fields Under Moderately Forced Wind Waves.

摘要

Long term goals are to observe and model turbulent transfer of momentum between the atmosphere and ocean in the presence of surface gravity waves. Surface gravity waves play a unique role in the coupling of wind stress into the ocean mixed layer as they gather wind kinetic energy and deliver momentum to the ocean interior through several poorly understood mechanisms, including micro breaking, full wave breaking and the transfer of wave energy into coherent circulation structures within the mixed layer. The resulting momentum transfers have both continuous stress components and highly episodic, strong events which significantly effect vertical distribution of kinetic energy dissipation and turbulent stress in the water column, complicating modeling of this important air-sea coupling process.