Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Inertial-dissipation methods and turbulent fluxes at the air-ocean interface

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

Abstract

The use of high frequency atmospheric turbulence properties (inertial subrange spectra, structure function parameters or dissipation rates) to infer surface fluxes of momentum, sensible heat and latent heat is more practical for most ocean going platforms than direct covariance measurement. The relationships required to deduce the fluxes from such data are examined in detail in this paper and several ambiguities and uncertainties are identified. It is noted that, over water, data on water vapor properties (the dimensionless functions for the mean profile, the structure function parameter and the variance transport term) are extremely sparse and the influence of sea spray is largely unknown. Special attention is given to flux estimation on the basis of the structure function formalism. Existing knowledge about the relevant similarity functions is summarized and discussed in light of the ambiguities identified above.

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

  • Bradley, E. F., Antonia, R. A., and Chambers, A. J.: 1981, ‘Temperature Structure in the Atmospheric Surface Layer’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 20, 275–292.

    Google Scholar 

  • Britter, R. E., Hunt, J. C. R., and Mumford, J. C.: 1979, ‘The Distortion of Turbulence by a Circular Cylinder’, J. Fluid Mech. 92, 269–301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Champagne, F. H., Friehe, C. A., LaRue, J. C., and Wyngaard, J. C.: 1977, ‘Flux Measurements, Flux Estimation Techniques, and Fine-scale Turbulence Measurements in the Unstable Surface Layer over Land’, J. Atmos. Sci. 34, 515–530.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, K. L., Houlihan, T., Fairall, C. W., and Schacher, G. E.: 1978, ‘Observation of C T 2 over the Ocean’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 15, 507–523.

    Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyer, A. J.: 1975, ‘Measurements of Turbulent Fluxes by Fluxatron and NIFTI Technique’, Atmos. Tech. 7, 24–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyer, A. J. and Bradley, E. F.: 1982, ‘An Alternative Analysis of Flux-Gradient Relationships at the 1976 ITCE’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 22, 3–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyer, A. J. and Hicks, B. B.: 1982, ‘Kolmogorov Constants at the 1976 ITCE’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 22, 137–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairall, C. W., Davidson, K. L., and Schacher, G. E.: 1979, ‘Humidity Effects and Sea Salt Contamination of Atmospheric Temperature Sensors’, J. Appl. Meteor. 18, 1237–1239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairall, C. W., Markson, R., Schacher, G. E., and Davidson, K. L.: 1980a, ‘An Aircraft Study of Turbulence Dissipation and Temperature Structure Function in the Unstable Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 19, 453–469.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairall, C. W., Schacher, G. E., and Davidson, K. L.: 1980b, ‘Measurements of the Humidity Structure Function Parameters C q 2 and C T q, over the Ocean’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 19, 81–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friehe, C. A., LaRue, J. C., Champagne, F. H., Gibson, C. H., and Dreyer, G. F.: 1975, ‘Effects of Temperature and Humidity Fluctuations on the Optical Refractive Index in the Marine Boundary Layer’, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 65, 1502–1511.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garratt, J. R.: 1977, ‘Review of Drag Coefficients Over Oceans and Continents’, Mon. Wea. Rev. 15, 915–939.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hicks, B. B. and Dyer, A. J.: 1972, ‘The Spectral Density Techniques for Determination of Eddy Fluxes’, Quart. J. R. Met. Soc. 98, 838–844.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohsiek, N.: 1982, ‘Measuring C T 2, C q 2 and C Tq in the Unstable Surface Layer, and Relations to the Vertical Fluxes of Heat and Moisture’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 24, 89–107.

    Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, S. E. and Busch, N. E.: 1976, ‘Hot-wire Measurements in the Atmosphere’, DISA Inf. 20, 5–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, S. E. and Hojstrup, J.: 1982, ‘Spatial and Temporal Resolutions of a Thin-wire Resistance Thermometer’, J. Phys. E15, 471–477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, S. E., Hojstrup, J. and Fairall, C. W.: 1984, ‘Mixed and Dynamic Response of Hot Wires and Cold Wires and Measurement of Turbulence Statistics’, (submitted to J. Tech).

  • Leavitt, E. and Paulson, C. A.: 1975, ‘Statistics of Surface Layer Turbulence Over the Tropical Ocean’, J. Phys. Ocean. 5, 143–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lenschow, D. H., Wyngaard, J. C., and Pennell, W. T.: 1980, ‘Mean-field and Second-moment Budgets in a Baroclinic, Convective Boundary Layer’, J. Atmos. Sci. 37, 1313–1326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ling, S. C. and Kao, T. W.: 1976, ‘Parameterization of the Moisture and Heat Transfer Process Over the Ocean Under Whitecap Sea States’, J. Phys. Ocean. 6, 306–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • McBean, G. A. and Elliott, J. A.: 1975, ‘The Vertical Transport of Kinetic Energy by Turbulence and Pressure in the Boundary Layer’, J. Atmos. Sci. 32, 753–766.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mestayer, P. G., Champagne, F. H., Friehe, C. A., LaRue, J. C., and Gibson, C. H.: 1978, ‘Estimation of the Fluxes Over the Ocean by the Covariance and Dissipation Methods’, in A. Favre and K. Hasselman (eds.), Turbulence Fluxes Through the Sea Surface, Wave Dynamics and Prediction, (Plenum, New York), p. 52–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mestayer, P. G., Pages, J.-P., Coantic, M., and Saissac, J.: 1980, ‘A Comparison of Spectral and Cospectral Characteristics of Dynamic and Thermal Turbulent Fields in Weakly Stratified Boundary Layers’, Joint Symposium Heat and Mass Transfer and the Structure of Turbulence, Z. Zaric (ed.), Hemisphere Publ., Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mestayer, P. G.: 1982, ‘Local Isotropy and Anisotropy in a High-Reynolds-Number Turbulent Boundary Layer’, J. Fluid Mech. 125, 475–503.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mestayer, P. G. and Chambaud, P.: 1979, ‘Some Limitations to Measurements of Turbulence Micro-Structure and Hot and Cold Wires’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 16, 311–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miyake, M., Donelan, M., McBean, G., Paulson, C., Badgley, F., and Leavitt, E.: 1970, ‘Comparison of Turbulent Fluxes Over Water Determined by Profile and Eddy Correlation Techniques’, Quart. J. R. Met. Soc. 96, 132–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, S. and Readings, C. J.: 1979, ‘Aircraft Observations of the Structure of the Lower Boundary Layer Over the Sea’, Quart. J. R. Met. Soc. 105, 785–802.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, S. and Readings, C. J.: 1981, ‘Spectral Characteristics of Surface Layer Turbulence Over the Sea’, Quart. J. R. Met. Soc. 107, 591–614.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panofsky, H. A. and Dutton, J. A.: 1984, ‘Atmospheric Turbulence’, Wiley-Inter-Science, 397 pp.

  • Paquin, J. E. and Pond, S.: 1971, ‘The Determination of the Kolmogorov Constants for Velocity, Temperature and Humidity Fluctuations Some Second- and Third-order Structure Functions’, J. Fluid Mech. 50, 257–269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pond, S., Phelps, G. T., Paquin, J. E., McBean, G. and Stewart, R. W.: 1971, ‘Measurements of the Turbulent Fluxes of Momentum, Moisture and Sensible Heat Over the Ocean’, J. Atmos. Sci. 28, 901–911.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schacher, G. E., Davidson, K. L., Houlihan, T. M., and Fairall, C. W.: 1981, ‘Measurements of the Rate of Dissipation of Turbulent Kinetic Energy Over the Ocean’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 20, 321–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, K. F., Friehe, C. A., and Gibson, C. H.: 1978, ‘Humidity Sensitivity of Atmospheric Temperature Sensors by Salt Contamination’, J. Phys. Ocean 8, 151–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, S. D.: 1967, ‘Thrust-Anemometer Measurements of Wind Velocity Spectra and Reynolds Stress Over a Coastal Inlet’, J. Mar. Res. 25, 239–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stegen, S. D. and Gibson, C. H. and Friehe, C. A.: 1973, ‘Measurements of Momentum and Sensible Heat Fluxes Over the Open Ocean’, J. Phys. Ocean. 3, 86–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, R. J.: 1961, ‘A New Approach to the Measurement of Turbulent Fluxes in the Lower Atmosphere’, J. Fluid Mech. 10, 449–458.

    Google Scholar 

  • Viswanadham, Y.: 1982, ‘Examination of the Empirical Flux-Profile Models of the Atmospheric Surface Layer’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 22, 61–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiler, H. S. and Burling, R. W.: 1967, ‘Direct Measurements of Stress Spectra of Turbulence in the Boundary Layer over the Sea’, J. Atmos. Sci. 24, 653–664.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieringa, J.: 1982, ‘Reply to Comment by Wyngaard et al., 1982’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 22, 251–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, R. M. and Paulson, C. A.: 1977, ‘Microscale Temperature and Velocity Spectra in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer’, J. Fluid Mech. 83, 547–567.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyngaard, J. C. and Coté, O. R.: 1971, ‘The Budgets of Turbulent Kinetic Energy and Temperature Variances in the Atmospheric Surface Layer’, J. Atmos. Sci. 28, 190–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyngaard, J. C., Izumi, Y., and Collins, S. A.: 1971, ‘Behavior of the Refractive Index Structure Parameter Near the Ground’, J. Opt. Soc. Amer. 61, 1646–1650.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyngaard, J. C. and Clifford, S. F.: 1977, ‘Taylor's Hypothesis and High Frequency Turbulence Spectra’, J. Atmos. Sci. 34, 922–929.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyngaard, J. C., Pennell, W. T., Lenschow, D. H., and LeMone, M. A.: 1978, ‘The Temperature-Humidity Covariance Budget in the Convective Boundary-Layer’, J. Atmos. Sci. 35, 47–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyngaard, J. C. and LeMone, M. A.: 1980, ‘Behavior of the Refractive Index Structure Parameter in the Entraining Convective Boundary Layer’, J. Atmos. Sci. 37, 1573–1585.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyngaard, J. C., Businger, J. A., Kaimal, J. C., and Larsen, S. E.: 1982, ‘Comments on a Revaluation of the Kansas Mast Influence on Measurements of Stress and Cup Anemometer Overspeeding’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 22, 245–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yaglom, A. M.: 1977, ‘Comments on Wind and Temperature Flux-Profile Relationships’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 11, 89–102.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Meteorology, The Pennsylvania State University, 16802, University Park, PA, USA

    C. W. Fairall

  2. Department of Meteorology, Naval Postgradute School, 93950, Monterey, CA, USA

    S. E. Larsen

  3. Riso National Laboratory, DK 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    S. E. Larsen

Authors
  1. C. W. Fairall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. E. Larsen
    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

Fairall, C.W., Larsen, S.E. Inertial-dissipation methods and turbulent fluxes at the air-ocean interface. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 34, 287–301 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00122383

Download citation

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00122383

Keywords

Search

Navigation