The layer of frictional influence in wind and ocean currents

Abstract

The purpose of the present paper is to analyze, in a reasonably comprehensive fashion, the principal factors controlling the mean state of turbulence and hence the mean velocity distribution in wind and ocean currents near the surface. The plan of the investigation is theoretical but efforts have been made to check each major step or result through an analysis of available measurements. The comparison of theory and observations is made diffcult by the fact that in most cases measurements have been arranged without the aid of a working hypothesis concerning the dynamics of the effect studied; thus information is often lacking concerning parameters essential to the interpretation of the data.