Collaborative Research: Investigating the Air-Sea Energy Exchange in the presence of Surface Gravity Waves by Measurements of Turbulence Dissipation, Production and Transport

合作研究：通过测量湍流耗散、产生和传输来研究表面重力波存在下的空气-海洋能量交换

• 批准号: 1756811
• 负责人: David Ullman
• 金额: $ 23.93万
• 依托单位: University of Rhode Island
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-09-01 至 2022-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1756811&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Investigating; Air; Sea

Understanding of air-sea boundary layer processes requires a quantitative description of mixing and transport in the ocean. The development and improvement of ocean models rely on results from comprehensive observation programs that capture mid- to small-scale turbulence which is associated with energy transfer from the atmosphere to the ocean. In this project, the role of surface gravity waves in energy transfer is studied by linking the atmosphere and ocean through a unique set of turbulence measurements. These are carried out simultaneously both on the air and water sides. To elucidate air-sea wave driven turbulence, the research teams will measure the vertical structure of the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation rate across the air-sea interface from the Air Sea Interaction Tower at Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory. The proposed measurements of turbulence will enhance the understanding of coupled boundary layer dynamics and will improve existing and future air-sea interaction parameterizations. The field campaign will also create a data set for the community that we will be shared through an open-access data system. This will accelerate the development of high-resolution wave coupled ocean numerical models and improve both weather and ocean conditions forecasts. Outreach through education is also a focus of this program. In addition to the support and training of a graduate student and a post-doctoral researcher, undergraduate research experiences (REU) will be provided through an existing NSF-REU program (URI) and new collaborations with local schools to expose high school students to earth sciences (UConn).This study focuses on the energy transfer from the atmosphere to the ocean and how this occurs across the air-sea interface. Indirect and direct observations of the energy flux divergence (wave-induced transport) on the atmospheric side will be used to constrain the magnitude of the air-sea TKE transfer rate and to provide an upper bound to the TKE injection by wave breaking (i.e. the breaker work). Direct estimates of active breaking and the resulting foam on the ocean surface will be used to provide complementary estimates of the subsurface TKE dissipation rate. On the ocean side, measurements of TKE dissipation rate and the TKE production and transport terms throughout the water column will be made using several complementary techniques. Using these measurements, the researchers will explore the expected TKE dissipation rate deficit/surplus at the interface relative to a rigid wall and assess the role of surface gravity waves in the deviations. Furthermore, an attempt will be made to elucidate and differentiate the effects of wave breaking and Langmuir Circulation driven turbulence and define characteristic turbulent scales to improve present and future mixing parameterizations in the upper ocean. On the atmospheric side, deviations from the law-of-the-wall are expected to be correlated to the energy flux divergence, which arises from wave motion creating an energy flux into the wave field. This study will characterize the wave signature on the air velocities and pressure on the atmospheric side, further elucidating the physics of the energy exchange.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

了解空气边界层过程需要对海洋混合和运输的定量描述。海洋模型的开发和改进取决于捕获中部至小规模湍流的全面观察计划的结果，这与从大气到海洋的能量转移有关。在这个项目中，通过通过一组独特的湍流测量将大气和海洋连接到大气和海洋中，研究表面重力波在能量传递中的作用。这些是在空气和水面同时进行的。为了阐明空气波驱动的湍流，研究团队将测量从玛莎葡萄园沿海天文台的空中海上相互作用塔上整个空气接口的湍流动能（TKE）耗散速率的垂直结构。提出的湍流测量结果将增强对耦合边界层动力学的理解，并将改善现有和未来的空气相互作用参数化。现场广告系列还将为社区创建一个数据集，我们将通过开放访问数据系统共享该数据集。这将加快高分辨率波耦合的海洋数值模型的发展，并改善天气和海洋条件的预测。通过教育宣传也是该计划的重点。除了支持和培训研究生和博士后研究人员外，本科研究经验（REU）还将通过现有的NSF-REU计划（URI）以及与当地学校的新合作提供，以使高中生将地球科学（UCONN）暴露于地球科学（UCONN）。这些研究集中于从大气层到海洋和跨海的能源转移。 间接和直接观察大气侧的能量通量差异（波诱导的传输）将用于限制空气 - TKE传输速率的大小，并通过波浪破裂（即断裂器工作）提供对TKE注射的上限。直接估计活动破裂和海面上产生的泡沫将用于提供地下TKE耗散率的互补估计。在海洋方面，将使用多种互补技术对TKE耗散速率以及整个水柱的TKE生产和运输项的测量。使用这些测量值，研究人员将探索界面相对于刚性壁的预期TKE耗散率缺陷/盈余，并评估表面重力波在偏差中的作用。此外，将尝试阐明和区分波浪破裂和Langmuir循环驱动的湍流的影响，并定义特征性的湍流尺度，以改善上海洋中当前和将来的混合参数化。在大气方面，偏离壁法的偏差有望与能量通量散布相关，这是由于波动而产生的波动，这会导致波段的能量通量。这项研究将表征空气速度的波浪签名和大气方面的压力，进一步阐明了能量交换的物理学。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的智力优点和更广泛影响的审查标准通过评估来获得支持的。