Abstract
We present an estimate of the total volume of entrained air by breaking waves in the open ocean, based on a model for a single breaking wave and the statistics of breaking waves measured in the field and described by the average length of breaking crests moving with speeds in the range (c,c + dc) per unit area of ocean surface, Λ(c)dc, introduced by Phillips (1985). By extending the single breaking wave model to the open ocean, we show that the volume flux of air entrained by breaking waves, VA (volume per unit ocean area per unit time, a velocity), is given by the third moment of Λ(c), modulated by a function of the wave slope. Using field measurements of the distribution Λ(c) and the wave spectrum, we obtain an estimate of the total volume flux of air entrained by breaking for a wide range of wind and wave conditions. These results pave the way for accurate remote sensing of the air entrained by breaking waves and subsequent estimates of the associated gas transfer.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 3779-3787 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Geophysical Research Letters |
Volume | 44 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 28 2017 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Geophysics
- General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Keywords
- air-sea interaction
- bubbles
- gas transfer
- wave breaking