ANALYSIS OF SEA-SURFACE DRAG PARAMETERIZATIONS IN OPEN OCEAN CONDITIONS

Author: RIEDER K.F.

Source: Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Volume 82, Number 3, 1997 , pp. 355-377(23)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Data from the Surface Waves and Processes Program (SWAPP) are employed to test current sea-surface drag parameterizations in open ocean conditions. General trends in the data indicate that drag increases with increasing wind speed and wave height, and decreases with wave age. However, scatter in the data limits the use of these parameters and other wave dependent parameterizations for modelling efforts. Upon close inspection, it is found that during the onset of three wind events analyzed separately, each of these parameters correlate well with the drag coefficient. However, the dependence of the drag coefficient on each of these parameters varies markedly from event to event. The disparity appears most closely linked to the turning rate of the wind, indicating that temporal and directional effects may play an important role. A temporal lag of O(4) hours between the rise of the wind and subsequent rise in the drag coefficient is also noticed, further pointing out the complexity of the wind-stress system.

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA

Publication date: 1997-01-01