Determination of the momentum flux at the air-sea interface under variable meteorological and oceanographic conditions: Further application of the wind-wave interaction method

Simultaneous observations of wind, wave, and stability parameters made recently by several authors provide an evaluation of the contribution of these factors to the determination of wind stress on the sea surface. It is shown that under diabatic conditions the wind-wave interaction method of determining wind stress is superior to the method utilizing correction for stability. The implication is that the contribution from waves is more important to the stress than that from stability. Thus, the wind-wave interaction method may be applicable under a variety of conditions. For general meteorological-oceanographic applications, a nomograph is also provided for estimating the wind stress from commonly available wind and wave parameters.