A Flux Parameterization Including the Effects of Capillary Waves and Sea State

Abstract

An air-sea interaction model that includes turbulent transport due to capillary waves (surface ripples) is developed. The model differs from others in that the physical premises are applicable to low wind speeds (10-m wind speed, U 10 5 m s 1 ) as well as higher wind speeds. Another new feature of the model is an anisotropic roughness length, which allows a crosswind component of the stress to be modeled. The influence of the angle between the mean wind direction and the mean direction of wave propagation is included in the anisotropic roughness length.