Accession Number:

AD1099215

Title:

Interactions Between Nonlinear Internal Ocean Waves and the Atmosphere

Descriptive Note:

Journal Article - Open Access

Corporate Author:

NAVAL RESEARCH LAB WASHINGTON DC WASHINGTON United States

Personal Author(s):

• Ortiz-Suslow,David G.
• Wang ,Qing
• Kalogiros ,John
• de Paolo ,Tony
• Terrill ,Eric
• Shearman ,R. K.
• Welch ,Pat
• Savelyev ,Ivan
• Yamaguchi,Ryan

Report Date:

2019-08-14

Pagination or Media Count:

9.0

Abstract:

The heterogeneity in surface roughness caused by transient, nonlinear internal ocean waves is readily observed in coastal waters. However, the quantifiable impact this heterogeneity has on the marine atmospheric surface layer has not been documented. A comprehensive data set collected from a unique ocean platform provided a novel opportunity to investigate the interaction between this internal ocean process and the atmosphere. Relative to the background atmospheric flow, the presence of internal waves drove wind velocity and stress variance. Furthermore, it is shown that the wind gradient adjusts across individual wave fronts, setting up localized shear that enhanced the air-sea momentum flux over the internal wave packet. This process was largely mechanical, though secondary impacts on the bulk humidity variance and gradient were observed. This study provides the first quantitative analysis of this phenomenon and provides insights into submesoscale air-sea interactions over a transient, internal ocean feature.

Descriptors:

• wind velocity
• boundary layer
• turbulence
• sea breeze
• internal waves
• frequency shift
• atmospheric motion
• surface roughness
• ocean waves
• meteorology
• fluid mechanics
• roughness
• case studies
• measurement

Subject Categories:

• Meteorology
• Physical and Dynamic Oceanography

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE