Ward
Brian
Ward
Brian
No Thumbnail Available
Search Results
Now showing
1 - 13 of 13
-
PreprintThe SOLAS air-sea gas exchange experiment (SAGE) 2004( 2010-03-11) Harvey, Mike J. ; Law, Cliff S. ; Smith, Murray J. ; Hall, Julie A. ; Abraham, Edward R. ; Stevens, Craig L. ; Hadfield, Mark G. ; Ho, David T. ; Ward, Brian ; Archer, Stephen D. ; Cainey, Jill M. ; Currie, Kim I. ; Devries, Dawn ; Ellwood, Michael J. ; Hill, Peter ; Jones, Graham B. ; Katz, Dave ; Kuparinen, Jorma ; Macaskill, Burns ; Main, William ; Marriner, Andrew ; McGregor, John ; McNeil, Craig L. ; Minnett, Peter J. ; Nodder, Scott D. ; Peloquin, Jill ; Pickmere, Stuart ; Pinkerton, Matthew H. ; Safi, Karl A. ; Thompson, Rona ; Walkington, Matthew ; Wright, Simon W. ; Ziolkowski, Lori A.The SOLAS air-sea gas exchange experiment (SAGE) was a multiple-objective study investigating gas-transfer processes and the influence of iron fertilisation on biologically driven gas exchange in high-nitrate low-silicic acid low-chlorophyll (HNLSiLC) Sub-Antarctic waters characteristic of the expansive Subpolar Zone of the southern oceans. This paper provides a general introduction and summary of the main experimental findings. The release site was selected from a pre-voyage desktop study of environmental parameters to be in the south-west Bounty Trough (46.5°S 172.5°E) to the south-east of New Zealand and the experiment conducted between mid-March and mid-April 2004. In common with other mesoscale iron addition experiments (FeAX’s), SAGE was designed as a Lagrangian study quantifying key biological and physical drivers influencing the air-sea gas exchange processes of CO2, DMS and other biogenic gases associated with an iron-induced phytoplankton bloom. A dual tracer SF6/3He release enabled quantification of both the lateral evolution of a labelled volume (patch) of ocean and the air-sea tracer exchange at the 10’s of km’s scale, in conjunction with the iron fertilisation. Estimates from the dual-tracer experiment found a quadratic dependency of the gas exchange coefficient on windspeed that is widely applicable and describes air-sea gas exchange in strong wind regimes. Within the patch, local and micrometeorological gas exchange process studies (100 m scale) and physical variables such as near-surface turbulence, temperature microstructure at the interface, wave properties, and wind speed were quantified to further assist the development of gas exchange models for high-wind environments. There was a significant increase in the photosynthetic competence (Fv/Fm) of resident phytoplankton within the first day following iron addition, but in contrast to other FeAX’s, rates of net primary production and column-integrated chlorophyll a concentrations had only doubled relative to the unfertilised surrounding waters by the end of the experiment. After 15 days and four iron additions totalling 1.1 tonne Fe2+, this was a very modest response compared to the other mesoscale iron enrichment experiments. An investigation of the factors limiting bloom development considered co- limitation by light and other nutrients, the phytoplankton seed-stock and grazing regulation. Whilst incident light levels and the initial Si:N ratio were the lowest recorded in all FeAX’s to date, there was only a small seed-stock of diatoms (less than 1% of biomass) and the main response to iron addition was by the picophytoplankton. A high rate of dilution of the fertilised patch relative to phytoplankton growth rate, the greater than expected depth of the surface mixed layer and microzooplankton grazing were all considered as factors that prevented significant biomass accumulation. In line with the limited response, the enhanced biological draw-down of pCO2 was small and masked by a general increase in pCO2 due to mixing with higher pCO2 waters. The DMS precursor DMSP was kept in check through grazing activity and in contrast to most FeAX’s dissolved dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentration declined through the experiment. SAGE is an important low-end member in the range of responses to iron addition in FeAX’s. In the context of iron fertilisation as a geoengineering tool for atmospheric CO2 removal, SAGE has clearly demonstrated that a significant proportion of the low iron ocean may not produce a phytoplankton bloom in response to iron addition.
-
PreprintReply to: Comment on the paper: A simple model for the short-time evolution of near-surface current and temperature profiles( 2005-12-12) Jenkins, Alastair D. ; Ward, BrianThis is our response to a comment by Walter Eifler on our paper `A simple model for the short-time evolution of near-surface current and temperature profiles' (arXiv:physics/0503186, accepted for publication in Deep-Sea Research II ). Although Eifler raises genuine issues regarding our model's validity and applicability, we are nevertheless of the opinion that it is of value for the short-term evolution of the upper-ocean profiles of current and temperature. The fact that the effective eddy viscosity tends to infinity for infinite time under a steady wind stress may not be surprising. It can be interpreted as a vertical shift of the eddy viscosity profile and an increase in the size of the dominant turbulent eddies under the assumed conditions of small stratification and infinite water depth.
-
ArticleSatellite and in situ salinity : understanding near-surface stratification and subfootprint variability(American Meteorological Society, 2016-08-31) Boutin, Jacqueline ; Chao, Yi ; Asher, William E. ; Delcroix, Thierry ; Drucker, Robert S. ; Drushka, Kyla ; Kolodziejczyk, Nicolas ; Lee, Tong ; Reul, Nicolas ; Reverdin, Gilles ; Schanze, Julian J. ; Soloviev, Alexander ; Yu, Lisan ; Anderson, Jessica ; Brucker, Ludovic ; Dinnat, Emmanuel ; Santos-Garcia, Andrea ; Jones, W. Linwood ; Maes, Christophe ; Meissner, Thomas ; Tang, Wenqing ; Vinogradova, Nadya ; Ward, BrianRemote sensing of salinity using satellite-mounted microwave radiometers provides new perspectives for studying ocean dynamics and the global hydrological cycle. Calibration and validation of these measurements is challenging because satellite and in situ methods measure salinity differently. Microwave radiometers measure the salinity in the top few centimeters of the ocean, whereas most in situ observations are reported below a depth of a few meters. Additionally, satellites measure salinity as a spatial average over an area of about 100 × 100 km2. In contrast, in situ sensors provide pointwise measurements at the location of the sensor. Thus, the presence of vertical gradients in, and horizontal variability of, sea surface salinity complicates comparison of satellite and in situ measurements. This paper synthesizes present knowledge of the magnitude and the processes that contribute to the formation and evolution of vertical and horizontal variability in near-surface salinity. Rainfall, freshwater plumes, and evaporation can generate vertical gradients of salinity, and in some cases these gradients can be large enough to affect validation of satellite measurements. Similarly, mesoscale to submesoscale processes can lead to horizontal variability that can also affect comparisons of satellite data to in situ data. Comparisons between satellite and in situ salinity measurements must take into account both vertical stratification and horizontal variability.
-
ArticleBiases in the air-sea flux of CO2 resulting from ocean surface temperature gradients(American Geophysical Union, 2004-06-30) Ward, Brian ; Wanninkhof, Rik ; McGillis, Wade R. ; Jessup, Andrew T. ; DeGrandpre, Michael D. ; Hare, Jeffrey E. ; Edson, James B.The difference in the fugacities of CO2 across the diffusive sublayer at the ocean surface is the driving force behind the air-sea flux of CO2. Bulk seawater fugacity is normally measured several meters below the surface, while the fugacity at the water surface, assumed to be in equilibrium with the atmosphere, is measured several meters above the surface. Implied in these measurements is that the fugacity values are the same as those across the diffusive boundary layer. However, temperature gradients exist at the interface due to molecular transfer processes, resulting in a cool surface temperature, known as the skin effect. A warm layer from solar radiation can also result in a heterogeneous temperature profile within the upper few meters of the ocean. Here we describe measurements carried out during a 14-day study in the equatorial Pacific Ocean (GasEx-2001) aimed at estimating the gradients of CO2 near the surface and resulting flux anomalies. The fugacity measurements were corrected for temperature effects using data from the ship's thermosalinograph, a high-resolution profiler (SkinDeEP), an infrared radiometer (CIRIMS), and several point measurements at different depths on various platforms. Results from SkinDeEP show that the largest cool skin and warm layer biases occur at low winds, with maximum biases of −4% and +4%, respectively. Time series ship data show an average CO2 flux cool skin retardation of about 2%. Ship and drifter data show significant CO2 flux enhancement due to the warm layer, with maximums occurring in the afternoon. Temperature measurements were compared to predictions based on available cool skin parameterizations to predict the skin-bulk temperature difference, along with a warm layer model.
-
ArticleSupplement to Cirene : air-sea interactions in the Seychelles-Chagos thermocline ridge region(American Meteorological Society, 2009-01) Vialard, Jérôme ; Duvel, J. P. ; McPhaden, Michael J. ; Bouruet-Aubertot, Pascale ; Ward, Brian ; Key, E. ; Bourras, Denis ; Weller, Robert A. ; Minnett, Peter ; Weill, A. ; Cassou, Christophe ; Eymard, L. ; Fristedt, Tim ; Basdevant, C. ; Dandonneau, Y. ; Duteil, O. ; Izumo, T. ; de Boyer Montegut, C. ; Masson, S. ; Marsac, F. ; Menkes, C. ; Kennan, S.The Vasco—Cirene field experiment, in January—February 2007, targeted the Seychelles—Chagos thermocline ridge (SCTR) region, with the main purpose of investigating Madden—Julian Oscillation (MJO)-related SST events. The Validation of the Aeroclipper System under Convective Occurrences (Vasco) experiment (Duvel et al. 2009) and Cirene cruise were designed to provide complementary views of air—sea interaction in the SCTR region. While meteorological balloons were deployed from the Seychelles as a part of Vasco, the Research Vessel (R/V) Suroît was cruising the SCTR region as a part of Cirene.
-
ArticleConstraining Southern Ocean air-sea-ice fluxes through enhanced observations(Frontiers Media, 2019-07-31) Swart, Sebastiaan ; Gille, Sarah T. ; Delille, Bruno ; Josey, Simon A. ; Mazloff, Matthew R. ; Newman, Louise ; Thompson, Andrew F. ; Thomson, James M. ; Ward, Brian ; du Plessis, Marcel ; Kent, Elizabeth ; Girton, James B. ; Gregor, Luke ; Heil, Petra ; Hyder, Patrick ; Pezzi, Luciano Ponzi ; de Souza, Ronald Buss ; Tamsitt, Veronica ; Weller, Robert A. ; Zappa, Christopher J.Air-sea and air-sea-ice fluxes in the Southern Ocean play a critical role in global climate through their impact on the overturning circulation and oceanic heat and carbon uptake. The challenging conditions in the Southern Ocean have led to sparse spatial and temporal coverage of observations. This has led to a “knowledge gap” that increases uncertainty in atmosphere and ocean dynamics and boundary-layer thermodynamic processes, impeding improvements in weather and climate models. Improvements will require both process-based research to understand the mechanisms governing air-sea exchange and a significant expansion of the observing system. This will improve flux parameterizations and reduce uncertainty associated with bulk formulae and satellite observations. Improved estimates spanning the full Southern Ocean will need to take advantage of ships, surface moorings, and the growing capabilities of autonomous platforms with robust and miniaturized sensors. A key challenge is to identify observing system sampling requirements. This requires models, Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs), and assessments of the specific spatial-temporal accuracy and resolution required for priority science and assessment of observational uncertainties of the mean state and direct flux measurements. Year-round, high-quality, quasi-continuous in situ flux measurements and observations of extreme events are needed to validate, improve and characterize uncertainties in blended reanalysis products and satellite data as well as to improve parameterizations. Building a robust observing system will require community consensus on observational methodologies, observational priorities, and effective strategies for data management and discovery.
-
ArticleSupplement to physical exchanges at the air–sea interface : UK–SOLAS field measurements(American Meteorological Society, 2009-05) Brooks, Ian M. ; Yelland, Margaret J. ; Upstill-Goddard, Robert C. ; Nightingale, Philip D. ; Archer, Stephen D. ; D'Asaro, Eric A. ; Beale, Rachael ; Beatty, Cory ; Blomquist, Byron ; Bloom, A. Anthony ; Brooks, Barbara J. ; Cluderay, John ; Coles, David ; Dacey, John W. H. ; DeGrandpre, Michael D. ; Dixon, Jo ; Drennan, William M. ; Gabriele, Joseph ; Goldson, Laura E. ; Hardman-Mountford, Nick ; Hill, Martin K. ; Horn, Matt ; Hsueh, Ping-Chang ; Huebert, Barry ; De Leeuw, Gerrit ; Leighton, Timothy G. ; Liddicoat, Malcolm ; Lingard, Justin J. N. ; McNeil, Craig L. ; McQuaid, James B. ; Moat, Bengamin I. ; Moore, Gerald ; Neill, Craig L. ; Norris, Sarah J. ; O'Doherty, Simon ; Pascal, Robin W. ; Prytherch, John ; Rebozo, Mike ; Sahlee, Erik ; Salter, Matt ; Schuster, Ute ; Skjelvan, Ingunn ; Slagter, Hans ; Smith, Michael H. ; Smith, Paul D. ; Srokosz, Meric ; Stephens, John A. ; Taylor, Peter K. ; Telszewski, Maciej ; Walsh, Roisin ; Ward, Brian ; Woolf, David K. ; Young, Dickon ; Zemmelink, Hendrik J.
-
ArticleNear-surface ocean temperature(American Geophysical Union, 2006-02-11) Ward, BrianThe first open ocean deployment of the Skin Depth Experimental Profiler (SkinDeEP) was from the R/V Melville in the Gulf of California during the Marine Optical Characterization Experiment (MOCE–5). SkinDeEP is an autonomous, vertical profiler for the upper few meters of the ocean. During MOCE–5, SkinDeEP was deployed on 10 separate occasions, and profiles were made at intervals of approximately one minute each. A total of 976 profiles were acquired during the cruise. The ocean skin temperatures were measured by the Marine Atmosphere Emitted Radiance Interferometer (M–AERI), an infrared spectroradiometer. Typical meteorological conditions were of low winds and high insolation. The dataset provided captures the near-surface temperature structure that decouples the skin layer from the conventional in–situ bulk sea surface temperature measurements made at a depth of a few meters. Data from SkinDeEP showed strong diurnal warming within the upper few meters, with one extreme case of 4.6 K. There were large discrepancies when computing the skin–bulk temperature difference with bulk temperatures at different depths. Results also show the strong dependency of estimating air–sea heat flux based on SST, with warm–layer errors of almost 60 Wm-2 associated with intense stratification. This indicates the importance of the inclusion of the skin temperature for accurate calculation of latent, sensible, and net longwave heat fluxes.
-
ArticleInfluence of rain on air-sea gas exchange : lessons from a model ocean(American Geophysical Union, 2004-07-01) Ho, David T. ; Zappa, Christopher J. ; McGillis, Wade R. ; Bliven, Larry F. ; Ward, Brian ; Dacey, John W. H. ; Schlosser, Peter ; Hendricks, Melissa B.Rain has been shown to significantly enhance the rate of air-water gas exchange in fresh water environments, and the mechanism behind this enhancement has been studied in laboratory experiments. In the ocean, the effects of rain are complicated by the potential influence of density stratification at the water surface. Since it is difficult to perform controlled rain-induced gas exchange experiments in the open ocean, an SF6 evasion experiment was conducted in the artificial ocean at Biosphere 2. The measurements show a rapid depletion of SF6 in the surface layer due to rain enhancement of air-sea gas exchange, and the gas transfer velocity was similar to that predicted from the relationship established from freshwater laboratory experiments. However, because vertical mixing is reduced by stratification, the overall gas flux is lower than that found during freshwater experiments. Physical measurements of various properties of the ocean during the rain events further elucidate the mechanisms behind the observed response. The findings suggest that short, intense rain events accelerate gas exchange in oceanic environments.
-
ArticleEvaluation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Coupled-Ocean Atmospheric Response Experiment (NOAA/COARE) air-sea gas transfer parameterization using GasEx data(American Geophysical Union, 2004-07-16) Hare, Jeffrey E. ; Fairall, Christopher W. ; McGillis, Wade R. ; Edson, James B. ; Ward, Brian ; Wanninkhof, RikDuring the two recent GasEx field experiments, direct covariance measurements of air-sea carbon dioxide fluxes were obtained over the open ocean. Concurrently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Coupled-Ocean Atmospheric Response Experiment air-sea gas transfer parameterization was developed to predict gas transfer velocities from measurements of the bulk state of the sea surface and atmosphere. The model output is combined with measurements of the mean air and sea surface carbon dioxide fugacities to provide estimates of the air-sea CO2 flux, and the model is then tuned to the GasEx-1998 data set. Because of differences in the local environment and possibly because of weaknesses in the model, some discrepancies are observed between the predicted fluxes from the GasEx-1998 and GasEx-2001 cases. To provide an estimate of the contribution to the air-sea flux of gas due to wave-breaking processes, the whitecap and bubble parameterizations are removed from the model output. These results show that moderate (approximately 15 m s−1) wind speed breaking wave gas transfer processes account for a fourfold increase in the flux over the modeled interfacial processes.
-
ArticlePhysical exchanges at the air–sea interface : UK–SOLAS field measurements(American Meteorological Society, 2009-05) Brooks, Ian M. ; Bloom, A. Anthony ; Brooks, Barbara J. ; Lingard, Justin J. N. ; McQuaid, James B. ; Norris, Sarah J. ; Smith, Michael H. ; Smith, Paul D. ; Yelland, Margaret J. ; Moat, Bengamin I. ; Pascal, Robin W. ; Prytherch, John ; Srokosz, Meric ; Taylor, Peter K. ; Upstill-Goddard, Robert C. ; Salter, Matt ; Nightingale, Philip D. ; Archer, Stephen D. ; Beale, Rachael ; Dixon, Jo ; Goldson, Laura E. ; Hardman-Mountford, Nick ; Liddicoat, Malcolm ; Moore, Gerald ; Stephens, John A. ; D'Asaro, Eric A. ; McNeil, Craig L. ; Beatty, Cory ; DeGrandpre, Michael D. ; Blomquist, Byron ; Huebert, Barry ; Cluderay, John ; Zemmelink, Hendrik J. ; Coles, David ; Hsueh, Ping-Chang ; Leighton, Timothy G. ; Dacey, John W. H. ; Drennan, William M. ; Rebozo, Mike ; Sahlee, Erik ; Gabriele, Joseph ; Hill, Martin K. ; Horn, Matt ; De Leeuw, Gerrit ; Neill, Craig ; Skjelvan, Ingunn ; O'Doherty, Simon ; Walsh, Roisin ; Young, Dickon ; Schuster, Ute ; Telszewski, Maciej ; Slagter, Hans ; Ward, Brian ; Woolf, David K.As part of the U.K. contribution to the international Surface Ocean–Lower Atmosphere Study, a series of three related projects—DOGEE, SEASAW, and HiWASE—undertook experimental studies of the processes controlling the physical exchange of gases and sea spray aerosol at the sea surface. The studies share a common goal: to reduce the high degree of uncertainty in current parameterization schemes. The wide variety of measurements made during the studies, which incorporated tracer and surfactant release experiments, included direct eddy correlation fluxes, detailed wave spectra, wind history, photographic retrievals of whitecap fraction, aerosol-size spectra and composition, surfactant concentration, and bubble populations in the ocean mixed layer. Measurements were made during three cruises in the northeast Atlantic on the RRS Discovery during 2006 and 2007; a fourth campaign has been making continuous measurements on the Norwegian weather ship Polarfront since September 2006. This paper provides an overview of the three projects and some of the highlights of the measurement campaigns.
-
ArticleCirene : air-sea iInteractions in the Seychelles-Chagos thermocline ridge region(American Meteorological Society, 2009-01) Vialard, Jérôme ; Duvel, J. P. ; McPhaden, Michael J. ; Bouruet-Aubertot, Pascale ; Ward, Brian ; Key, E. ; Bourras, Denis ; Weller, Robert A. ; Minnett, Peter ; Weill, A. ; Cassou, Christophe ; Eymard, L. ; Fristedt, Tim ; Basdevant, C. ; Dandonneau, Y. ; Duteil, O. ; Izumo, T. ; de Boyer Montegut, C. ; Masson, S. ; Marsac, F. ; Menkes, C. ; Kennan, S.The Vasco—Cirene program ex-plores how strong air—sea inter-actions promoted by the shallow thermocline and high sea surface temperature in the Seychelles—Chagos thermocline ridge results in marked variability at synoptic, intraseasonal, and interannual time scales. The Cirene oceano-graphic cruise collected oceanic, atmospheric, and air—sea flux observations in this region in Jan-uary—February 2007. The contem-poraneous Vasco field experiment complemented these measure-ments with balloon deployments from the Seychelles. Cirene also contributed to the development of the Indian Ocean observing system via deployment of a moor-ing and 12 Argo profilers. Unusual conditions prevailed in the Indian Ocean during Janu-ary and February 2007, following the Indian Ocean dipole climate anomaly of late 2006. Cirene measurements show that the Seychelles—Chagos thermocline ridge had higher-than-usual heat content with subsurface anomalies up to 7°C. The ocean surface was warmer and fresher than average, and unusual eastward currents prevailed down to 800 m. These anomalous conditions had a major impact on tuna fishing in early 2007. Our dataset also sampled the genesis and maturation of Tropical Cyclone Dora, including high surface temperatures and a strong diurnal cycle before the cyclone, followed by a 1.5°C cool-ing over 10 days. Balloonborne instruments sampled the surface and boundary layer dynamics of Dora. We observed small-scale structures like dry-air layers in the atmosphere and diurnal warm layers in the near-surface ocean. The Cirene data will quantify the impact of these finescale features on the upper-ocean heat budget and atmospheric deep convection.
-
PreprintA simple model for the short-time evolution of near-surface current and temperature profiles( 2004-12-21) Jenkins, Alastair D. ; Ward, BrianA simple analytical/numerical model has been developed for computing the evolution, over periods of up to a few hours, of the current and temperature profile in the upper layer of the ocean. The model is based upon conservation laws for heat and momentum, and employs an eddy diffusion parameterisation which is dependent on both the wind speed and the wind stress applied at the sea surface. Other parameters such as the bulk-skin surface temperature difference and CO2 flux are determined by application of the Molecular Oceanic Boundary Layer Model (MOBLAM) of Schlussel and Soloviev. A similar model, for the current profile only, predicts a temporary increase in wave breaking intensity and decrease in wave height under conditions where the wind speed increases suddenly, such as, for example, during gusts and squalls. The model results are compared with measurements from the lagrangian Skin Depth Experimental Profiler (SkinDeEP) surface profiling instrument made during the 1999 MOCE-5 field experiment in the waters around Baja California. SkinDeEP made repeated profiles of temperature within the upper few metres of the water column. Given that no tuning was performed in the model, and that the model does not take account of stratification, the results of the model runs are in rather good agreement with the observations. The model may be suitable as an interface between time-independent models of processes very near the surface, and larger-scale three-dimensional time-dependent ocean circulation models. A straightforward extension of the model should also be suitable for making time-dependent computations of gas concentration in the near-surface layer of the ocean.