Unravelling the mysteries of turbulent drag at the air-sea interface

地球表面的70%是海气界面。大量的能量和气体在大气和海洋之间交换；这些交换对地球上的生命至关重要。气候模型、天气和海浪预报依赖于这些交换的过于简化的模型。过度简化限制了准确性，其结果包括不准确的气候预测、昂贵且不必要的船只改道或石油平台疏散。这个项目承诺通过创新的、雄心勃勃的实验，在我们的实验室风浪箱中，对波浪上方的湍流气流有新的认识。同时，新的数值模拟将使海气相互作用模型中最关键的组成部分海阻力系数的新模型成为可能。

70% of the Earth's surface is the air-sea interface. A huge amount of energy and gas is exchanged between the atmosphere and ocean; exchanges that are crucial for life on earth. Climate models, weather and wave forecasts depend on oversimplified models for these exchanges. Oversimplification limits accuracy, with outcomes ranging from inaccurate climate predictions to costly and unnecessary rerouting of ships or evacuations of oil platforms. This project promises new knowledge of the turbulent air flow above waves through innovative, ambitious experiments in our laboratory wind-wave tanks. Concurrently, novel numerical simulations will enable new models for sea drag coefficient, the most critical component in air-sea interaction models.