(Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1998-09)
Martin, Michiko J.
This thesis presents an investigation of the influence of surface waves on momentum
exchange. A quantitative comparison of direct covariance friction velocity measurements
to bulk aerodynamic and inertial dissipation estimates indicates that both indirect
methods systematically underestimate the momentum flux into developing seas. To
account for wave-induced processes and yield improved flux estimates, modifications to
the traditional flux parameterizations are explored.
Modification to the bulk aerodynamic method involves incorporating sea state
dependence into the roughness length calculation. For the inertial dissipation method, a
new parameterization for the dimensionless dissipation rate is proposed. The
modifications lead to improved momentum flux estimates for both methods.
