Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Momentum and sensible heat fluxes calculated by the dissipation technique during the Ocean Storms Project

  • Published:
Boundary-Layer Meteorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

High frequency measurements of wind velocity and temperature were made during the Ocean Storms Project in November 1987. The dissipation method was applied to the resulting time series in order to determine friction velocities,u *, and the characteristic temperature scale,t *, at 1-min intervals. These values were then compared to the 1-min mean wind speed and air-sea temperature differences to determine relationships for the drag coefficient (C d ) and Stanton number (C h ). The drag coefficient was comparable to other values reported in the literature, although the variation with wind speed was greater than reported by other investigators. An examination of the residual time series indicated a systematic low frequency periodicity of about 2-hr duration which was attributed to a fluctuating wind interacting with the surface gravity wave field. The temperature fluctuations did not produce meaningful estimates ofC h for stable conditions. For unstable conditions, a value of 1.09±0.02×10−3 was found.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Batchelor, G. K.: 1959,The Theory of Homogeneous Turbulence, Cambridge University Press, pp. 103–161.

  • Boyle, P. J., Davidson, K. L. and Spiel, D. E.: 1987, ‘Characteristics of Over Water Surface Stress During STREX’,Dyn. Atmos. Oceans 10, 343–358.

    Google Scholar 

  • D'Asaro, E. A.: 1985,Ocean Storms, A Three-Dimensional Severe Storm Air/Sea Interaction Experiment: Overview and Core Program, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, p. 39.

  • Deacon, E. L.: 1959, ‘The Measurement of Turbulent Transfer in the Lower Atmosphere’,Adv. Geophys. 6, 211–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Leonibus, P. S. and Simpson, L. S.: 1987, ‘Dissipation Observations of Drag Coefficients Over the Open Ocean’,IEEE J. of Oceanic Eng. OE-12, 296–300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyer, A. J.: 1974, ‘A Review of Flux Profile Relationships’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 7, 363–372.

    Google Scholar 

  • Large, W. G.: 1979,The Turbulent Fluxes of Momentum and Sensible Heat Over the Open Ocean During Moderate to Strong Winds, Ph.D. thesis, Institute of Oceanography, University of British Columbia, p. 180.

  • Large, W. G. and Pond, S.: 1981, ‘Open Ocean Momentum Flux Measurements in Moderate to Strong Winds’,J. Phys. Oceanogr. 11, 324–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Large, W. G. and Pond, S.: 1982, ‘Sensible and Latent Heat Flux Measurements Over the Ocean’,J. Phys. Oceanogr. 12, 464–482.

    Google Scholar 

  • McBean, G. A.: 1972, ‘Instrument Requirements for Eddy Correlation Measurement’,J. Appl. Meteorol. 11, 1078–1084.

    Google Scholar 

  • McBean, G. A.: 1982, ‘Microscale Temperature Fluctuations in the Atmospheric Surface Layer’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 23, 185–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • McBean, G. A., Stewart, R. W. and Miyake, M.: 1971, ‘The Turbulent Energy Budget Near the Surface’,J. Geophys. Res. 76, 6540–6549.

    Google Scholar 

  • Monin, A. S. and Obukhov, A. M.: 1954, ‘Basic Laws of Turbulent Mixing in the Atmosphere Near the Ground’,Tr. Akad. Nauk., SSSR Geophiz. Inst. 24, 1963–1987.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paquin, J. E. and Pond, S.: 1971, ‘The Determination of the Kolmogoroff Constants for Velocity, Temperature and Moisture from Second and Third Order Structure Functions’,J. Fluid Mech. 50, 257–269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paulson, C. A.: 1970, ‘The Mathematical Representation of Wind Speed and Temperature Profiles in the Unstable Atmospheric Surface Layer’,J. Appl. Meteorol. 9, 857–861.

    Google Scholar 

  • Proctor, B. A.: 1989,Air Sea Fluxes by the Dissipation Method During the Ocean Storms Project, M.Sc. thesis, Royal Roads Military College, p. 77.

  • Smith, S. D.: 1980, ‘Wind Stress and Heat Flux Over the Ocean in Gale Force Winds’,J. Phys. Oceanogr. 10, 709–726.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willis, G. E. and Deardorff, J. W.: 1976, ‘On the Use of Taylor's Hypothesis for Diffusion in the Mixed Layer’,Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 102, 817–882.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Royal Roads Military College, FMO, V0S 1B0, Victoria, BC, Canada

    R. F. Marsden & B. A. Proctor

  2. Atmospheric Science Programme, University of British Columbia, V6T 1W5, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    G. A. McBean

Authors
  1. R. F. Marsden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. A. McBean
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. A. Proctor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Marsden, R.F., McBean, G.A. & Proctor, B.A. Momentum and sensible heat fluxes calculated by the dissipation technique during the Ocean Storms Project. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 63, 23–38 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705375

Download citation

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705375

Keywords

Search

Navigation