Abstract
We perform the experimental verification of the applicability of the theory of similarity to the wave boundary layer and the assessment of wave-induced perturbations of the air flow depending on various conditions of stratification of the atmosphere and the state of the sea. The measurements were carried out from a stationary platform located in the coastal part of the Black Sea. The experimental procedure is based on the simultaneous measurements of the profile and fluctuations of the wind speed at 5–6 levels in the 1.3–21-m layer, the elevations of the sea surface, the directions of waves and winds, and the mean gradients of temperature and humidity of air. The structure of the boundary layer in the region of measurements depends on the direction of the wind. For weak and moderate onshore winds (< 9 m/sec), the approximate balance is preserved between the production and dissipation of turbulent energy in the cases of unstable and neutral stratification. On the average, the estimates of friction velocity according to the profiles are higher than the dissipative estimates by 10% mainly due to the deficiency of dissipation near the surface. For the offshore wind, the structure of the boundary layer abruptly changes and is determined not by the local parameters but by strong turbulent eddies formed over the dry land. The intensity of low-frequency turbulent fluctuations and the gradient of wind velocity near the surface in the coastal zone are 1.5–2 times higher than for the open sea.
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Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 3, pp. 42–61, May–June, 2007.
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Solov’ev, Y.P., Ivanov, V.A. Preliminary results of measurements of atmospheric turbulence over the sea. Phys Oceanogr 17, 154–172 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11110-007-0013-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11110-007-0013-9