On moisture flux across the sea surface

Available data on the water-vapor flux across the air-sea interface are processed to determine its coefficient. The results are found to be clearly divided into two regions; as the wind velocity increases the neutral transfer coefficient decreases at low winds, and increases at intermediate winds. The characteristics of aerodynamically smooth flows are demonstrated at low winds; the neutral transfer coefficient at intermediate winds increases linearly with the wind velocity, at nearly the same rate as the wind-stress coefficient. For various atmospheric conditions, the transfer coefficient varies systematically with the product between the wind velocity and the difference in humidities at the sea surface and at 10-m elevation. Readily applicable formulae are proposed for both low and intermediate winds.     

Turbulent fluxes of momentum,heat and water vapor in the atmospheric surface layer at sea during ATEX

The vertical turbulent fluxes have been determined during the Atlantic Trade Wind Experiment (ATEX) both by direct and profile methods. The drag coefficient obtained from direct measurements was c _D = 1.39 × 10^–3. A distortion of the wind profile due to wave action could be demonstrated, this produced an increased drag coefficient estimated by the profile method. The dissipation technique using the downwind spectrum gave a lower drag coefficient of 1.26 × 10^–3, probably due to non-isotropic conditions (the ratio of vertical to downwind spectrum at high frequencies scattered considerably with an average of 1 instead of 4/3).From direct measurements, the sensible heat flux showed a poor correlation with the bulk parameter product U, contrary to the heat flux obtained from profiles. It is shown that this is due to the higher frequency part of the cospectrum, say above 0.25 Hz, which contributes more than 50 % of the total flux. Determination of the heat flux from temperature fluctuations by the dissipation method would be in agreement with the direct determination only if the corresponding Kolmogoroff constant were 2.1 instead of 0.8.For the vertical flux of water vapor obtained from profiles, the bulk transfer coefficient was 1.28 × 10^–3.This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Schwerpunktprogramm Meeresforschung and later the Sonderforschungsbereich Meeresforschung Hamburg.     

Evaluation of the ERA-40 air–sea surface heat flux spin-up

Ocean models depend strongly on surface fluxes. When computed from atmospheric models, fluxes are affected by spin-up, i.e. they increase (or decrease) with forecast length. Such behavior may bias ocean models. The European Centre for Medium Range Forecasts (ECMWF) 40-year re-analysis (ERA-40) has been used to quantify short-range spin-ups of radiative and turbulent heat fluxes. Fluxes are compared as differences between two runs with the same initialization time. This method allows flux analysis over short-range forecasts as a function of distance from the initialization time. Results indicate that (i) latent heat flux spin-up increases with time but levels off after 24 h; (ii) sensible and radiative flux spin-ups remain constant after 6 h; (iii) regional spin-up of turbulent fluxes are systematic and can be larger than 30% for sensible heat but never exceeds 15% for latent heat; (iv) spin-up depends upon the season. The same analysis has been carried out with the ECMWF 15-year re-analysis (ERA-15); spin-ups in ERA-40 have been generally smaller than those in ERA-15.     

Aerodynamic roughness of the sea surface at high winds

The role of the surface roughness in the formation of the aerodynamic friction of the water surface at high wind speeds is investigated. The study is based on a wind-over-waves coupling theory. In this theory waves provide the surface friction velocity through the form drag, while the energy input from the wind to waves depends on the friction velocity and the wind speed. The wind-over-waves coupling model is extended to high wind speeds taking into account the effect of sheltering of the short wind waves by the air-flow separation from breaking crests of longer waves. It is suggested that the momentum and energy flux from the wind to short waves locally vanishes if they are trapped into the separation bubble of breaking longer waves. At short fetches, typical for laboratory conditions, and strong winds the steep dominant wind waves break frequently and provide the major part of the total form drag through the air-flow separation from breaking crests, and the effect of short waves on the sea drag is suppressed. In this case the dependence of the drag coefficient on the wind speed is much weaker than would be expected from the standard parameterization of the roughness parameter through the Charnock relation. At long fetches, typical for the field, waves in the spectral peak break rarely and their contribution to the air-flow separation is weak. In this case the surface form drag is determined predominantly by the air-flow separation from breaking of the equilibrium range waves. As found at high wind speeds up to 60 m s⁻¹ the modelled aerodynamic roughness is consistent with the Charnock relation, i.e. there is no saturation of the sea drag. Unlike the aerodynamic roughness, the geometrical surface roughness (height of short waves) could be saturated or even suppressed when the wind speed exceeds 30 m s⁻¹.     

Net total and UV-B radiation at the sea surface

A three-week continuous record from 21 September to 5 October 1988 of solar and terrestrial downward and upward radiation flux densities (1 data set per minute) obtained during the Atlantic Ocean cruise of the R/V Polarstern (ANT VII/1) along 30° W between 30° N and 30° S is evaluated. As the cruise crossed both subtropics and tropics of the Atlantic Ocean, characteristic daily cycles and meridional distributions of the radiation components and atmospheric turbidity were obtained. Special attention is given to the ultraviolet component of global radiation. The influence of cloudiness on the radiation quantities is discussed. As the knowledge of the spatial and temporal distribution of solar and longwave atmospheric radiation at the sea surface is important for numerous meteorological, oceanographic, and physico-chemical investigations, this data set is compared with other measurements of the cruise. This work is the continuation of the measurements made during the cruise ANT V/5 of R/V Polarstern along 30° W between 40° S and 40° N in March/April 1987.     

Modes of variability of global sea surface temperature,free atmosphere temperature and oceanic surface energy flux

Monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST), free air temperature from satellite microwave sounding units (MSU) and oceanic surface energy fluxes are subjected to empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis for a common decade to investigate the physical relationships involved. The first seasonal modes of surface solar energy flux and SST show similar inter-hemispheric patterns with an annual cycle. Solar flux appears to control this pattern of SST. The first seasonal mode of MSU is similar with, additionally, land-sea differences; MSU is apparently partly controlled by absorption of solar near-infrared radiation and partly by sensible heat from the land surface. The second and third seasonal eigenvector of SST and solar flux exhibit semi-annual oscillations associated with a pattern of cloudiness in the subtropics accompanying the translation of the Hadley cell rising motion between the hemispheres. The second seasonal mode of MSU is dominated by an El Niño signal. The first nonseasonal EOFs of SST and solar flux exhibit El Niño characteristics with the solar pattern being governed by west-to-east translation of a Walker cell type pattern. The first non-seasonal EOF of MSU shows a tropical strip pattern for the El Niño mode, which is well correlated with the latent heat fluxes in the tropical east Pacific but not in the tropical west Pacific. Two possible explanations are: an increase in subsidence throughout the tropical strip driven by extra evaporation in the tropical east Pacific and consequent additional latent heat liberation; a decrease of meridional heat flux out of the tropics.     

Parameterisation of surface radiation flux at an Antarctic site

During the Antarctic summer 1994/95 the values of downward and upward flux densities of both solar and terrestrial radiation were recorded at 1200 m for a period of 1 month on the Reeves Nevè Glacier (lat 74°39′S, long 161°35′E), near the Italian base of Terra Nova Bay. The relations proposed by Swinbank [Swinbank, W.C., 1963. Long-wave radiation from clear skies. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 89, 339–348], Idso and Jackson [Idso, S.B., Jackson, R.D., 1969. Thermal radiation from the atmosphere. J. Geophys. Res. 74, 5397–5403] and Deacon [Deacon, E.L., 1970. The derivation of Swinbank's long-wave radiation formula. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 96, 313–319] associating the long-wave atmospheric radiation flux only to the air temperature at screen level were tested in extreme Antarctic climatological condition. A relation between the long-wave radiation flux and both screen air temperature and cloud cover fraction in accordance to the height of the cloud base was defined using the Kasten and Czeplak relationship that relates the solar radiation flux and the cloud cover index. The study of the incoming short-wave radiation flux from the clear sky and that reflected by the surrounding snow cover allowed for highlighting the role of surface geometry on the albedo measurements.     

A dynamical analysis of the drag conditions at the sea surface

When applied to a sea surface, shortcomings are noted for the ordinary classification of drag conditions at rigid underlying surfaces according to the Reynolds roughness number Re _s . It is shown that in the case of mobile underlying surfaces, it would be more natural to use the dynamical classification of drag conditions according to the order of magnitude of the ratio ( = /) of the momentum flux toward the waves ( _w) to the viscous momentum flux through the surface ( _w). The relevant estimates of for the main stages of development of the wind waves indicate that the observed values of the drag coefficient of the sea surface correspond to the case of underdeveloped roughness.     

Surface flux response to interannual tropical Pacific sea surface temperature variability in AMIP models

 A systematic comparison of observed and modeled atmospheric surface heat and momentum fluxes related to sea surface temperature (SST) variability on interannual time scales in the tropical Pacific is conducted. This is done to examine the ability of atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) in the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) to simulate the surface fluxes important for driving the ocean on interannual time scales. In order to estimate the model and observed response to such SST variability, various regression calculations are made between a time series representing observed ENSO SST variability in the tropical Pacific and the resulting surface flux anomalies. The models exhibit a range of differences from the observations. Overall the zonal wind stress anomalies are most accurately simulated while the solar radiation anomalies are the least accurately depicted. The deficiencies in the solar radiation are closely related to errors in cloudiness. The total heat flux shows some cancellation of the errors in its components particularly in the central Pacific. The performance of the GCMs in simulating the surface flux anomalies seems to be resolution dependent and low-resolution models tend to exhibit weaker flux responses. The simulated responses in the western Pacific are more variable than those of the central and eastern Pacific but in the west the observed estimates are less robust as well. Further improvements in atmospheric GCM flux simulation through better physical parametrization is clearly required if such models are to be used to their full potential in coupled modeling and climate forecasting. Received: 24 August 1999 / Accepted: 11 September 2000     

Measurements of the turbulent heat flux over the sea

The turbulent heat flux was measured with two instruments simultaneously over the Baltic Sea by means of the eddy-correlation method. In one observational period, a small but noticeable divergence in heat flux was found, which may be explained by the advection of colder air. The parameterization of heat flux by the bulk method leads to a value for C _Hof 1 × 10^–3.     

A note on the relationship between temperature and water vapor over oceans, including sea surface temperature effects

An ideal and simple formulation is successfully derived that well represents a quasi-linear relationship found between the domain-averaged water vapor, Q (mm), and temperature, T (K), fields for the three tropical oceans (i.e., the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans) based on eleven GEOS-3 [Goddard Earth Observing System (EOS) Version-3] global re-analysis monthly products. A Q ? T distribution analysis is also performed for the tropical and extra-tropical regions based on in-situ sounding data and numerical simulations [GEOS-3 and the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model]. A similar positively correlated Q ? T distribution is found over the entire oceanic and tropical regions; however, Q increases faster with T for the former region. It is suspected that the tropical oceans may possess a moister boundary layer than the Tropics. The oceanic regime falls within the lower bound of the tropical regime embedded in a global, curvilinear Q ? T relationship. A positive correlation is also found between T and sea surface temperature (SST); however, for one degree of increase in T, SST is found to increase 1.1 degrees for a warmer ocean, which is slightly less than an increase of 1.25 degrees for a colder ocean. This seemingly indicates that more (less) heat is needed for an open ocean to maintain an air mass above it with a same degree of temperature rise during a colder (warmer) season [or in a colder (warmer) region]. Q and SST are also found to be positively correlated. Relative humidity (RH) exhibits similar behaviors for oceanic and tropical regions. RH increases with increasing SST and T over oceans, while it increases with increasing T in the Tropics. RH, however, decreases with increasing temperature in the extratropics. It is suspected that the tropical and oceanic regions may possess a moister local boundary layer than the extratropics so that a faster moisture increase than a saturated moisture increase is favored for the former regions. T,Q, saturated water vapor, RH, and SST are also examined with regard to the warm and cold “seasons” over individual oceans. The Indian Ocean warm season dominates in each of the five quantities, while the Atlantic Ocean cold season has the lowest values in most categories. The higher values for the Indian Ocean may be due to its relatively high percentage of tropical coverage compared to the other two oceans. However, Q is found to increase faster for colder months from individual oceans, which differs from the general finding in the global Q?T relationship that Q increases slower for a colder climate. The modified relationship may be attributed to a possible seasonal (warm and cold) variability in boundary layer depth over oceans, or to the small sample size used in each individual oceanic group.     

The sea surface temperature deviation and the heat flow at the sea-air interface

The deviation of the sea surface temperature from the water temperature below is calculated as a function of the heat flow through the air-sea interface, using wind tunnel determinations of the effective thermal diffusivity in a boundary layer. The influence ofQ, shortwave radiation, andH, latent and sensible heat transfer plus effective back radiation, and U, wind speed, can be described by:T ₀ –T _w =C ₁ ·H/U +C ₂ ·Q/U. The calculated coefficients vary slightly with reference depth, Tables II and III. They are in good agreement with independent observations.On leave at Department of Oceanography, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon in 1969–70.     

Drag of the sea surface

It is shown how the drag of the sea surface can be computed from the wind speed and the sea state. The approach, applicable both for fully developed and for developing seas, is based on conservation of momentum in the boundary layer above the sea, which allows one to relate the drag to the properties of the momentum exchange between the sea waves and the atmosphere.The total stress is split into two parts: a turbulent part and a wave-induced part. The former is parameterized in terms of mixing-length theory. The latter is calculated by integration of the wave-induced stress over all wave numbers. Usually, the effective roughness is given in terms of the empirical Charnock relation. Here, it is shown how this relation can be derived from the dynamical balance between turbulent and wave-induced stress. To this end, the non-slip boundary conditions is assigned to the wave surface, and the local roughness parameter is determined by the scale of the molecular sublayer.The formation of the sea drag is then described for fully developed and developing seas and for light to high winds.For the Charnock constant, a value of about 0.018–0.030 is obtained, depending on the wind input, which is well within the range of experimental data.It is shown that gravity-capillary waves with a wavelength less than 5 cm play a minor role in the momentum transfer from wind to waves. Most of the momentum is transferred to decimeter and meter waves, so that the drag of developing seas depends crucially on the form of the wave spectrum in the corresponding high wavenumber range.The dependence of the drag on wave age depends sensitively on the dependence of this high wavenumbertail on wave age. If the tail is wave-age independent, the sea drag appears to be virtually independent of wave age. If the tail depends on wave age, the drag also does. There is contradictory evidence as to the actual dependence. Therefore, additional experiments are needed.The investigation was in part supported by the Netherlands Geosciences Foundation (GOA) with financial aid from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).     

Determining latent heat flux at sea: A comparison between wind-wave interaction and profile methods

Estimates of the latent heat flux at the air-sea interface made by the profile method are compared to estimates by a wind-wave interaction (WWI) method that takes into account both wind and wave characteristics. A data set that consisted of profile measurements (six levels) of wind, temperature, and humidity over the Arabian Sea was used to compare the methods, and the agreement is good. It is shown that this WWI method can be used to compute the shear velocity, and then the results can be applied in the computation of latent heat flux. The parameters used in the WWI method are wind speed and direction, air temperature and humidity, sea-surface temperature, and significant wave height and period. All these data may be obtained from standard ship observations.     

Observed dependence of the water vapor and clear-sky greenhouse effect on sea surface temperature: comparison with climate warming experiments

This study presents a comparison of the water vapor and clear-sky greenhouse effect dependence on sea surface temperature for climate variations of different types. Firstly, coincident satellite observations and meteorological analyses are used to examine seasonal and interannual variations and to evaluate the performance of a general circulation model. Then, this model is used to compare the results inferred from the analysis of observed climate variability with those derived from global climate warming experiments. One part of the coupling between the surface temperature, the water vapor and the clear-sky greenhouse effect is explained by the dependence of the saturation water vapor pressure on the atmospheric temperature. However, the analysis of observed and simulated fields shows that the coupling is very different according to the type of region under consideration and the type of climate forcing that is applied to the Earth-atmosphere system. This difference, due to the variability of the vertical structure of the atmosphere, is analyzed in detail by considering the temperature lapse rate and the vertical profile of relative humidity. Our results suggest that extrapolating the feedbacks inferred from seasonal and short-term interannual climate variability to longer-term climate changes requires great caution. It is argued that our confidence in climate models' predictions would be increased significantly if the basic physical processes that govern the variability of the vertical structure of the atmosphere, and its relation to the large-scale circulation, were better understood and simulated. For this purpose, combined observational and numerical studies focusing on physical processes are needed.     

Response of the atmosphere at high and middle latitudes to the reduction of sea ice area and the rise of sea surface temperature

The response of the polar atmosphere to the reduction of sea ice area in the Arctic and the rise of sea surface temperature is considered using the atmospheric general circulation model with prescribed boundary conditions on the ocean surface. Boundary conditions include the observed sea ice concentration and the sea surface temperature in recent three decades. The study demonstrates that the reduction of sea ice extent is the major factor contributing to the amplification of the warming in the Arctic. However, the spatiotemporal distribution of the warming is not uniform. It is mostly pronounced in autumn and winter and extends up to the height of about 1 km in the areas of large reduction of sea ice concentration or of its complete disappearance. It is demonstrated that the rise of the sea surface temperature also provides some contribution to the warming in the Arctic. Due to the global warming in recent decades statistically significant changes occurred in the distribution of the sea-level pres sure and geopotential heights in the polar region and at mid-latitudes in autumn, winter, and spring. However, these changes are mainly associated with the increase in the sea surface temperature but not with the reduction of sea ice extent. The study has not revealed any significant ret ationships between ice cover anomalies in the Arctic and the evolution of pressure patterns of the synoptic scale that could contribute to the development of cold weather episodes over Eurasia in winter.     

Estimates of water vapor flux and canopy conductance of Scots pine at the tree level utilizing different xylem sap flow methods

Summary During the Hartheim Experiment (HartX) 1992 conducted in the upper Rhine Valley, Germany, three different methods were used to measure sap flow in Scots pine trees via heating of water transported in the xylem: (1) constant heating applied radially in the sapwood (Granier-system-G), (2) constant heating of a stem segment (ermák-system-C), and (3) regulated variable heating of a stem segment that locally maintains a constant temperature gradient in the trunk (ermák/Schulze-system-CS). While the constant heating methods utilize changes in the induced temperature gradient to quantify sap flux, the CS-system estimates water flow from the variable power requirement to maintain a 2 or 3 degree Kelvin temperature gradient over a short distance between inserted electrodes and reference point. The C- and CS-systems assume that all transported water is encompassed and equally heated by the electrodes. In this case, flux rate is determined from temperature difference or energy input and the heat capacity of water. Active sapwood area need not be determined exactly. In contrast, the G-system requires an empirical calibration of the sensors that allows conversion of temperature difference into sap flow density. Estimates of sapwood area are used to calculate the total flux. All three methods assume that the natural fluctuation in temperature of the trunk near the point of insertion of heating and sensing elements is the same as that where reference thermocouples are inserted.Using all three systems, 24 trees were simultaneously monitored during the HartX campaign. Tree size within the stand ranged between 18 and 61 cm circumference at breast height, while sample trees ranged between 24 and 55 cm circumference. The smallest trees could only be measured by utilizing the G-system. Sap flow rates of individual trees measured at breast height increased rapidly in the morning along with increases in irradiance and vapor pressure deficit (D), decreased slowly during the course of the afternoon with continued increase inD, and decreased more slowly during the night.Ignoring potential effects introduced by the different methods, maximum flow rates of individual trees ranged between 0.5 and 2.5 kg H₂O h^–1 tree^–1 or 0.3 and 0.6 mm h^–1 related to projected crown area of trees and daily sums of sap flow for individual trees varied between 4.4 and 24 kg H₂O tree^–1 d^–1 or 1.1 and 6.0 mm d^–1. Maximum sap flow rates per sapwood area of trees varied least for the G-system (11–17 g cm^–2 h^–1) and was of similar magnitude as the C- (8–21 g cm^–2 h^–1) and CS-system (4–14 g cm^–2 h^–1).Regressions of total tree conductance (g _t ) derived from sap flow estimates demonstrated the same linear increase of conductance with increasing irradiance, however decrease of conductance with increasingD under non-limiting light conditions was different for the three systems with strongest reduction ofg _t measured with the CS-system followed by the C- and G-system. This led to different estimates of daily sap flow rates especially during the second part of the measurement period.Variation in sap flow rates is explained on the basis of variation in leaf area index of individual trees, heterogeneity in soil conditions, and methodological differences in sap flow measurements. Despite the highly uniform plantation forest at the scale of hectares, the heterogeneity in tree size and soil depth at the scale of square meters still make it difficult to appropriately and efficiently select sample trees and to scale-up water flux from individual trees to the stand level.With 5 Figures     

Inconsistent surface flux partitioning by the Bowen ratio method

Situations have been found in which the application of the Bowen ratio energy balance method has resulted in inconsistent partitioning between sensible and latent heat.The present investigation explains how and why the failure can happen. The conclusion is that advection should always be measured in order to free the analyses of ambiguity.