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

要了解海-气边界层过程，需要对海洋中的混合和输送进行定量描述。海洋模型的发展和改进依赖于综合观测计划的结果，这些计划捕捉到与从大气到海洋的能量转移有关的中到小尺度湍流。在这个项目中，通过一套独特的湍流测量将大气和海洋联系起来，研究了表面重力波在能量转移中的作用。这些都是同时在空气和水两端进行的。为了阐明海气波动驱动的湍流，研究小组将从玛莎葡萄园岛海岸天文台的海气相互作用塔测量湍流动能耗散率(TKE)的垂直结构。拟议的湍流测量将加强对耦合边界层动力学的理解，并将改进现有和未来的海-气相互作用参数。实地活动还将为社区创建一个数据集，我们将通过开放获取的数据系统共享该数据集。这将加快高分辨率波耦合海洋数值模式的发展，并改善天气和海况预报。通过教育进行外展也是该计划的一个重点。除了支持和培训一名研究生和一名博士后研究员外，本科生研究经验(REU)将通过现有的NSF-REU计划(URI)和与当地学校的新合作来提供，让高中生接触地球科学(UConn)。这项研究侧重于从大气到海洋的能量转移以及这种转移是如何通过海-气界面发生的。对大气侧能流散度(波诱导输送)的间接和直接观测将被用来限制海-气TKE转移率的大小，并为通过波浪破碎(即破碎功)的TKE注入提供上限。对海洋表面活动破裂和由此产生的泡沫的直接估计将用于提供对次表层TKE消散率的补充估计。在海洋方面，将使用几种补充技术测量整个水柱的将军澳支线消散率和支线支线的生产和输送条件。利用这些测量，研究人员将探索相对于刚性壁的界面上预期的TKE耗散率赤字/盈余，并评估表面重力波在偏差中的作用。此外，还将试图阐明和区分波浪破碎和朗缪尔环流驱动湍流的影响，并定义特征湍流尺度，以改进目前和未来上层海洋的混合参数。在大气方面，对墙定律的偏离预计将与能量通量发散相关，能流发散是由波动产生的能量通量进入波场引起的。这项研究将表征大气一侧的空气速度和压力的波动特征，进一步阐明能量交换的物理学。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.