The main focus of this study is the influence of waves on the heat transfer over sea. In particular, the bulk transfer coefficient CH (the Stanton number), has been investigated for possible wave influence. Measurements from the site Östergarnsholm in the Baltic Sea have been used. The site has a large sector with undisturbed over water fetch. Data during the period 1995-1999 have been used. It is shown that CH behaves differently as it approach z/L=0 from the unstable side depending on the wave state. During growing sea, CH makes a rapid drop as it passes over neutrality, strikingly different from swell conditions where CH makes a much ’smoother’ transition. This difference is also shown to exist for the kinematic heat flux. Based on the definition of CH, it is suggested that one of the reasons of CH’s different behaviour for different stratification and wave state, is ought to be sought in the kinematic heat flux itself. A comparison of the w,θ cospectra during growing sea and swell conditions, showed differences. For growing sea, the larger size eddies dominates the heat flux during unstable conditions. There is no significant difference in peak frequency for different grade of instability. The swell cases showed a more inconsistent behaviour as it approached neutrality, with the peak frequency shifting for different stability ranges. The correlation coefficient between u, the longitudinal wind component, and w, the vertical wind component, Ru,w is also investigated in this study. It is shown that Ru,w is exposed to some wave influence. A comparison of Ru,w as a function of wave age, for neutral and non-neutral stratification is made. For swell cases and non-neutral stratification Ru,w makes a rapid drop and assumes values close to zero. This is not seen for the neutral cases although there is a slight decrease. It is concluded that a certain amount of positive heat flux and inactive turbulence is needed to see this drop in the correlation coefficient. / Sammanfattning av ”Våginflytandet på värmeutbytet över hav” Syftet med studien är att undersöka om det existerar ett våginflytande för värmeutbytet över hav och speciellt eventuellt våginflytande på utbyteskoefficienten CH (Stantons tal). Mätdata från Östergarnsholm utanför Gotland har använts. Denna mätstation har en stor sektor i vilken vindens anloppssträcka ostört är påverkad av hav. Data från perioden 1995–1999 har använts. Stantons tal CH beter sig annorlunda vid övergången från instabil till stabil skiktning beroende på havsytans tillstånd. Vid uppbyggande sjö gör CH ett ’hopp’ då det passerar neutral skiktning. För dyning finns inte detta hopp utan övergången är mycket mjukare. Denna skillnad observeras också hos det turbulenta värmeflödet. Baserat på definitionen av CH föreslås det att dess olika beteende för olika skiktning och vågtillstånd finns att söka i beteendet hos det turbulenta värmeflödet. En jämförelse av cospektrat för vertikal vind, w, och potentiell temperatur, θ, visar att där finns olikheter mellan uppbyggande sjö och dyning. Under instabila förhållanden och uppbyggande sjö domineras värmeflödet av storskaliga virvlar. Det existerar ingen signifikant skillnad i maximal värdets frekvens för olika grad av instabilitet. Dyningsfallen visar ett mer varierat beteende med en maximalvärdes frekvens som skiftar för olika stabilitetsområden. I studien undersöks också korrelationskoefficienten mellan longitudinal vind u, och vertikal vind w, Ru,w. Det visas att Ru,w är utsatt för ett visst våginflytande. Ru,w som en funktion av vågålder jämförs för neutral och icke-neutral skiktning. För dyning och icke-neutral skiktning så faller Ru,w snabbt till små värden nära noll. Detta resultat skiljer sig för neutral skiktning där Ru,w bara gör en svag minskning. Slutsatsen är att det krävs en viss mängd positivt värmeflöde och inaktiv turbulens för att se det kraftiga avtagandet hos korrelationskoefficienten.

As part of the ONR sponsored Coupled Boundary Layer/Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST) experiment, data from the NOAA WP-3D research aircraft measurements into major Hurricanes in the 2002-2004 seasons are analyzed to investigate the structure of the boundary layer. The turbulent fluxes of momentum and enthalpy are derived using the eddy correlation method. For the first time, the momentum and enthalpy fluxes were directly measured in the boundary layer of a hurricane with wind speeds up to 30 m/s. A new bulk parameterization of the momentum and enthalpy flux is developed. The vertical structure of turbulence and fluxes are presented for the entire boundary layer in the rain free region between the outer rainbands. The turbulent kinetic energy budget was estimated for the hurricane boundary layer between the outer rainbands. The universal spectra and cospectra of the wind velocity, temperature and humidity are also derived. A case study on the effects of roll vortices on the turbulent fluxes is conducted, which confirmed the existence of the boundary layer rolls and gave the first estimate of their modulation of the momentum and sensible heat flux. The CBLAST data provided an invaluable perspective on the evaluation and development of the boundary layer parameterization suited for the hurricane models. Studies on entrainment processes above of the mixed layer and turbulent transport processes induced by the inflow are recommended in the future.

The ocean mixed layer response to a tropical cyclone within, and immediately adjacent to, the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current is examined using a combination of ocean profiles and a numerical model. A comprehensive set of temperature, salinity, and current profiles acquired from aircraft-deployed expendable probes is utilized to analyze the three-dimensional oceanic energy and circulation evolution in response to Hurricane Lili's (2002) passage. Mixed-layer temperature analyses show that the Loop Current cooled <1 degree C in response to the storm, in contrast to typically observed larger decreases of 3-5 degrees C. Correspondingly, vertical current shears, which are partly responsible for entrainment mixing, were found to be up to 50% weaker, on average, than observed in previous studies within the directly-forced region. The Loop Current, which separates the warmer, lighter Caribbean Subtropical water from the cooler, heavier Gulf Common water, was found to decrease in intensity by -0.18 plus/minus 0.25 m/s over an approximately 10-day period within the mixed layer. Contrary to previous tropical cyclone ocean response studies which have assumed approximately horizontally homogeneous ocean strucutre prior to storm passage, a kinetic energy loss of 5.8 plus/minus 6.3 kJ/m^2, or approximately -1 wind stress-scaled energy unit, was observed. Using near-surface currents derived from satellite alimetery data, the Loop Current is found to vary similarly in magnitude, suggesting storm-generated energy is rapidly removed by the pre-exiting Loop Current. Further examination of the energy response using an idealized numerical model reveal that due to: 1) favorable coupling between the wind stress and pre-existing current vectors; and 2) wind-driven currents flowing across the large horizontal pressure gradient; wind energy transfer to mixed-layer kinetic energy can be more efficient in these regimes as compared to the case of an initially horizontally homogeneous ocean. However, nearly all of this energy is removed by advection by 2 local inertial periods after storm passage, and little evidence of the storm's impact remains. Mixed-layer vorticity within the idealized current also shows a strong direct response, but little evidence of an near-inertial wave wake results.

A quantitative description of wind-wave and wind-current momentum transfer in high wind conditions is currently unresolved, mainly due to the severe character of the problem. It is, however, necessary for accurate wave models, storm and hurricane forecasting, and atmosphere-ocean model coupling. In this research, strongly forced wind-wave conditions were simulated in a laboratory tank. On the air side, a static pressure probe mounted on a vertical wave follower measured wave-induced airflow pressure fluctuations in close proximity to the surface. Vertical profiles of wave-induced pressure fluctuations were resolved and wave phase dependent features, such as airflow separation, identified. Based on the pressure measurements, wind-wave momentum fluxes were obtained. The dependence of the spectral wave growth function on wind forcing, wave steepness, and wave crest sharpness was also investigated. The bulk air-sea momentum fluxes were estimated using the "total budget" experimental technique. It provided information on the contribution of a wind-wave flux induced by a single wave to the total air-sea momentum flux. The percentile contribution of wind-wave momentum flux into one wave was found to be dependent on the wave's steepness. An arbitrary change in steepness, however, was found to modify the wave field in such a way that it had little effect on the total wind stress. To complement wind stress measurements velocity profiles in the water were measured using Particle Image Velocimetry technique. Mean current, turbulent stress, turbulent kinetic energy and turbulent dissipation rate vertical profiles were studied as a function of wind speed. Together with wave spectrum evolution measurements they form a complete empirical description of momentum fluxes in the laboratory tank. The results provide a detailed empirical view on airflow pressure fluctuations over a wavy surface, on total wind stress, and on the velocity response in the water. A new wave growth parameterization with wind forcing range extended into storm conditions is the most significant stand alone result of this work. Combined with the near surface vertical profiles, these empirical data also serve as a test bed for coupled air-sea numerical models.

Intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) are important elements of the tropical climate with time-scales of 20-80 day. The ISO is poorly simulated and predicted by numerical models. This work presents a joint diagnostic and modeling study of the ISO that examines the hypothesis that local coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere is essential to the existence and evolution of the ISO in the Indo-Pacific warm pool region. Low-level moistening during the transition phase preconditions the atmosphere for deep convection. The vertical structure of ISO from the ECMWF coupled model during different phases of the oscillation as well as the skill of the model in simulating the processes that occur during the transition phase were studied. The forecast skill of the vertical structure associated with the ISO is greater for winter than for summer events. Predictability of the convective period is poor when initialized before the transitional phase. When initialized within the transition period including lower tropospheric moistening, predictability increases substantially, although the model parameterizations appears to trigger convection quickly without allowing an adequate buildup of CAPE during the transition. The model tends to simulate a more stable atmosphere compared to data, limiting the production of deep convective events. Two different one-dimensional coupled models are used to analyze the role of local ocean-atmosphere coupling in generating ISO. The ocean component is a one-dimensional mixed layer model. In the first model the atmospheric component corresponds to the SCCM. Results suggest that convection in the model tends to be "overactive," inhibiting development of lower frequency oscillations in the atmosphere. In the second case, the atmospheric component is a semi-empirical model that allows reproducing the coupled ISO over long integration periods including only local mechanisms. In the semi-empirical scheme the rate of change of atmospheric variables is statistically related to changes in SST. The stable state of this model is a quasi-periodic oscillation with a time scale between 25 and 80 days that matches well the observed ISO. Results suggest that the period of the oscillation depends on the characteristics of the ocean mixed layer, with a higher frequency oscillation for a shallow mixed layer.

The focus was to evaluate the Inertial Dissipation Method (IDM) over land duringunstable conditions. This was done by comparing the friction velocity, u*, from theeddy-correlation method (ECM) with u* from IDM. The result can be used to see ifIDM can rely on its assumptions, since the surface-layer theory is more fulfilled overland, where we for example do not have wave influence. The measurements weretaken from the flat agricultural site Marsta, 8 km north of Uppsala, Sweden. The result shows that IDM works well over land (relative standard deviation of about 10 %). For weakly unstable stratification, it is enough to use an assumption of neutralconditions in the IDM calculations. If it is more unstable, one should include theinfluence of stability and also include an imbalance term. The imbalance term isintroduced implicitly by varying the effective Kolmogorov’s constant with stability.The effective Kolmogorov’s constant used here, varied from 0.50 up to above 0.80. To calculate u* using IDM, a first estimation of u* was calculated from aparameterised drag coefficient CD. Also, to imitate the measuring setup on a movingplatform on the sea, the stability parameter, z/L, was calculated using a bulkestimatedheat flux. The large scatter showed that it is important that theparameterisations of CD and the heat flux are good. One can conclude that the IDM as a method to determine turbulent fluxes over landworks satisfactory. The larger scatter over sea is probably an effect of sea waveinfluence, even though the sea surface is considered more homogeneous and theconditions more stationary. / Syftet var att utvärdera inertial-dissipationsmetoden (IDM) över land under instabilaförhållanden. Detta gjordes genom att jämföra friktionshastigheten, u* , från eddycorrelation-metoden (ECM) med u* från IDM. Resultaten kan användas till att sehuruvida man kan använda de antaganden som IDM vilar på. Ytskiktsteorin ärtroligen mer uppfylld över land, eftersom det t.ex. inte finns något våginflytande.Mätningarna är gjorda i Marsta, som ligger i ett flackt jordbrukslandskap, 8 km norrom Uppsala. Resultatet visar att IDM fungerar tillfredställande över land (relativ standardavvikelseca 10 %). För svagt instabila förhållanden, räcker det med att anta neutral skiktning iIDM-beräkningarna. Om det är mer instabilt, bör man ta hänsyn till stabiliteten ochäven inkludera en obalansterm. Obalanstermen introduceras implicit genom att varieraden effektiva Kolmogorovkonstanten med stabiliteten. Den effektivaKolmogorovkonstanten som användes här, varierade från 0.5 till över 0.8. För att beräkna u* med hjälp av IDM, beräknades en första uppskattning av u* genom att använda en parametriserad ”drag-coefficient” CD. För att efterlikna demedel man har att tillgå på skepp och bojar i rörelse ute på havet, beräknadesstabilitetsparametern, z/L, med hjälp av ett bulkbestämt värmeflöde. Den storaspridningen av data visade att det är viktigt att parameteriseringen av CD samt värmeflödet är bra. Man kan dra slutsatsen att dissipationsmetoden fungerar tillfredsställande, som metodatt bestämma turbulenta flöden över land. Den större spridningen som man fått överhav är förmodligen en effekt av t.ex. vågor, trots att havsytan anses vara merhomogen och förhållandena mer stationära.

Field-wise wind estimation (also known as model-based wind estimation) is a sophisticated technique to derive wind estimates from radar backscatter measurements. In contrast to the more traditional method known as point-wise wind retrieval, field-wise techniques estimate wind field model parameters. In this way, neighboring wind vectors are jointly estimated, ensuring consistency. This work presents and implementation for field-wise wind retrieval for the SeaWinds scatterometer on the QuikSCAT satellite. Due to its sophistication, field-wise wind retrieval adds computational complexity and intensity. The tradeoffs necessary for practical implementations are examined and quantified. The Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm for minimizing the field-wise objective function is presented. As the objective function has several near-global local minima, several wind fields represent ambiguous wind field estimates. A deterministic method is proposed to ensure sufficient ambiguities are obtained. An improved method for selecting between ambiguous wind field estimates is also proposed. With a large set of Sea-Winds measurements and estimates available, the σ° measurement statistics are examined. The traditional noise model is evaluated for accuracy. A data-driven parameterization is proposed and shown to effectively estimate measurement bias and variance. The parameterized measurement model is used to generate Cramer-Rao bounds on estimator performance. Using the Cramer-Rao bound, field-wise and point-wise performances are compared.

Surface gravity waves alter the turbulence of the bottom atmosphere and the upper ocean. Accordingly, they can affect momentum flux, heat fluxes, gas exchange and atmospheric mixing. However, in most state-of-the-art Earth System Models (ESMs), surface wave influences are not fully considered or even included. Here, applying surface wave influences into ESMs is investigated from different aspects. Tuning parameterisations for including instantaneous wave influences has difficulties to capture wave influences. Increasing the horizontal resolution of models intensifies storm simulations for both atmosphere-wave coupled (considering the influence of instantaneous wave-induced stress) and stand-alone atmospheric models. However, coupled models are more sensitive to the horizontal resolution than stand-alone atmospheric models. Under high winds, wave states have a big impact on the sea spray generation. Introducing a wave-state-dependent sea spray generation function and Charnock coefficient into a wind stress parameterisation improves the model performance concerning wind speed (intensifies storms). Adding sea spray impact on heat fluxes improves the simulation results of air temperature. Adding sea spray impact both on the wind stress and heat fluxes results in better model performance on wind speed and air temperature while compared to adding only one wave influence. Swell impact on atmospheric turbulence closure schemes should be taken into account through three terms: the atmospheric mixing length scale, the swell-induced momentum flux at the surface, and the profile of swell-induced momentum flux. Introducing the swell impact on the three terms into turbulence closure schemes shows a better performance than introducing only one of the influences. Considering all surface wave impacts on the upper-ocean turbulence (wave breaking, Stokes drift interaction with the Coriolis force, Langmuir circulation, and stirring by non-breaking waves), rather than just one effect, significantly improves model performance. The non-breaking-wave-induced mixing and Langmuir circulation are the most important terms when considering the impact of waves on upper-ocean mixing. Accurate climate simulations from ESMs are very important references for social and biological systems to adapt the climate change. Comparing simulation results with measurements shows that adding surface wave influences improves model performance. Thus, an accurate description of all important wave impact processes should be correctly represented in ESMs, which are important tools to describe climate and weather. Reducing the uncertainties of simulation results from ESMs through introducing surface gravity wave influences is necessary.

Os padrões de circulação do Atlântico Sudoeste são caracterizados por uma diversidade de massas de água. A presença das correntes associadas ao giro subtropical e a incursão para norte da Corrente Circumpolar Antártica (CCA) determinam extensas regiões de largo gradiente de Temperatura da Superfície do Mar (TSM). Ao mesmo tempo, circulações de mesoescala geram intensos gradientes setorizados, ou reforçam o contraste de larga-escala. Consequentemente, frentes oceânicas de diferentes escalas são formadas ao longo desses gradientes. Quando o vento sopra sobre essas frentes, os fluidos trocam calor e momentum alterando suas propriedades dinâmicas e termodinâmicas. Nesse trabalho visamos caracterizar as alterações no campo de vento superficial que podem ser atribuídas a essas trocas. Para isso, foi aplicado um algoritmo de detecção de frentes em campos de Temperatura da Superfície do Mar (TSM) derivados do conjunto OSTIA. Em situações de escoamento atmosférico sinótico homogêneo, foram calculados o divergente e rotacional do vento medido pelo escaterômetro QuickSCAT ao longo das zonas frontais, bem como suas componentes perpendicular e paralela às frentes. Ao longo de 8 anos mais 96.000 frentes oceânicas foram detectadas, co-localizadas com a disponibilidade de dados de vento dando origem a 40.000 composições. O sistema de coordenadas dessas composições foi rotacionado para que as frentes oceânicas tivessem a mesma orientação. Nós empilhamos as composições em um arranjo 3D e foram obtidas médias das circulações atmosféricas induzidas. As perturbações médias obtidas indicaram que há convergência do vento quando este sopra do lado quente para o lado frio da frente com a frenagem do escoamento. De forma oposta, há divergência e aceleração do vento quando este sopra no sentido oposto. Nós identificamos alterações locais no rotacional do campo de vento capazes de induzir o bombeamento de Ekman no oceano. Esse processo pode gerar mecanismos de retroalimentação no sistema. Nossos resultados corroboram o de diversos estudos sobre o tema presentes literatura. / The southwest Atlantic circulation patterns are characterized by a diversity of water masses. The presence of currents associated with the subtropical gyre and the northward incursion of Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) determine extensive regions of strong sea surface temperature gradient (SST). At the same time, mesoscale circulations generate intense local gradients, or reinforce the large-scale contrast. Consequently, oceanic fronts are formed along these gradients on different scales. When the wind blows over these fronts, the fluids exchange heat and momentum, and that changes their dynamic and thermodynamic properties. In this work we aim to characterize the changes in the surface wind field that might be attributed to these exchanges. To do it, a frontal detection algorithm was applied to the SST field derived from OSTIA set. We selected situations of synoptic homogeneous atmospheric flow and calculated the divergent and rotational wind, in addition to its perpendicular and parallel components to the oceanic fronts. We used wind measurements recorded by the QuickSCAT scatterometer along the frontal zones. More than 96,000 oceanic fronts were detected along 8 years of data. We matched them to available wind data and formed more than 40,000 SST-WIND compositions. The coordinate system of these compositions was rotated so that all oceanic fronts have the same horizontal orientation. We piled up the compositions in a 3D array and the temporal mean of the induced circulations was calculated. The average disturbance obtained indicated that there is wind convergence when it blows from the warm side of the front to the cold side because the flow is slowed down. Conversely, there is wind divergence when it blows in the opposite direction due to speeding up flow. We identified local changes in wind field curl capable of inducing Ekman pumping over the ocean. This process can generate feedback mechanisms in the system. Our results were consistent with the literature.

Os padrões de circulação do Atlântico Sudoeste são caracterizados por uma diversidade de massas de água. A presença das correntes associadas ao giro subtropical e a incursão para norte da Corrente Circumpolar Antártica (CCA) determinam extensas regiões de largo gradiente de Temperatura da Superfície do Mar (TSM). Ao mesmo tempo, circulações de mesoescala geram intensos gradientes setorizados, ou reforçam o contraste de larga-escala. Consequentemente, frentes oceânicas de diferentes escalas são formadas ao longo desses gradientes. Quando o vento sopra sobre essas frentes, os fluidos trocam calor e momentum alterando suas propriedades dinâmicas e termodinâmicas. Nesse trabalho visamos caracterizar as alterações no campo de vento superficial que podem ser atribuídas a essas trocas. Para isso, foi aplicado um algoritmo de detecção de frentes em campos de Temperatura da Superfície do Mar (TSM) derivados do conjunto OSTIA. Em situações de escoamento atmosférico sinótico homogêneo, foram calculados o divergente e rotacional do vento medido pelo escaterômetro QuickSCAT ao longo das zonas frontais, bem como suas componentes perpendicular e paralela às frentes. Ao longo de 8 anos mais 96.000 frentes oceânicas foram detectadas, co-localizadas com a disponibilidade de dados de vento dando origem a 40.000 composições. O sistema de coordenadas dessas composições foi rotacionado para que as frentes oceânicas tivessem a mesma orientação. Nós empilhamos as composições em um arranjo 3D e foram obtidas médias das circulações atmosféricas induzidas. As perturbações médias obtidas indicaram que há convergência do vento quando este sopra do lado quente para o lado frio da frente com a frenagem do escoamento. De forma oposta, há divergência e aceleração do vento quando este sopra no sentido oposto. Nós identificamos alterações locais no rotacional do campo de vento capazes de induzir o bombeamento de Ekman no oceano. Esse processo pode gerar mecanismos de retroalimentação no sistema. Nossos resultados corroboram o de diversos estudos sobre o tema presentes literatura. / The southwest Atlantic circulation patterns are characterized by a diversity of water masses. The presence of currents associated with the subtropical gyre and the northward incursion of Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) determine extensive regions of strong sea surface temperature gradient (SST). At the same time, mesoscale circulations generate intense local gradients, or reinforce the large-scale contrast. Consequently, oceanic fronts are formed along these gradients on different scales. When the wind blows over these fronts, the fluids exchange heat and momentum, and that changes their dynamic and thermodynamic properties. In this work we aim to characterize the changes in the surface wind field that might be attributed to these exchanges. To do it, a frontal detection algorithm was applied to the SST field derived from OSTIA set. We selected situations of synoptic homogeneous atmospheric flow and calculated the divergent and rotational wind, in addition to its perpendicular and parallel components to the oceanic fronts. We used wind measurements recorded by the QuickSCAT scatterometer along the frontal zones. More than 96,000 oceanic fronts were detected along 8 years of data. We matched them to available wind data and formed more than 40,000 SST-WIND compositions. The coordinate system of these compositions was rotated so that all oceanic fronts have the same horizontal orientation. We piled up the compositions in a 3D array and the temporal mean of the induced circulations was calculated. The average disturbance obtained indicated that there is wind convergence when it blows from the warm side of the front to the cold side because the flow is slowed down. Conversely, there is wind divergence when it blows in the opposite direction due to speeding up flow. We identified local changes in wind field curl capable of inducing Ekman pumping over the ocean. This process can generate feedback mechanisms in the system. Our results were consistent with the literature.