A Lagrangian Stochastic Model for Sea-Spray Evaporation in the Atmospheric Marine Boundary Layer

Abstract

The dispersion of heavy particles subjected to a turbulent forcing is often simulated with Lagrangian stochastic models. Although these models have been employed successfully over land, the implementation of traditional LS models in the marine boundary layer is significantly more challenging. We present an adaptation of traditional Lagrangian stochastic models to the atmospheric marine boundary layer with a particular focus on the representation of the scalar turbulence for temperature and humidity. In this new model, the atmosphere can be stratified and the bottom boundary is represented by a realistic wavy surface that moves and deforms. Hence, the correlation function for the turbulent flow following a particle is extended to the inhomogenous, anisotropic case. The results reproduce behaviour for scalar Lagrangian turbulence in a stratified airflow that departs only slightly from the expected behaviour in isotropic turbulence. When solving for the surface temperature and the radius of evaporating heavy water droplets in the airflow, the modelled turbulent forcing on the particle also behaves remarkably well. We anticipate that this model will prove especially useful in the context of sea-spray dispersion and its associated sensible heat, latent heat, and gas fluxes between spray droplets and the atmosphere.