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    Rain-induced turbulence and air-sea gas transfer

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    2008JC005008.pdf (2.196Mb)
    Date
    2009-07-09
    Author
    Zappa, Christopher J.  Concept link
    Ho, David T.  Concept link
    McGillis, Wade R.  Concept link
    Banner, Michael L.  Concept link
    Dacey, John W. H.  Concept link
    Bliven, Larry F.  Concept link
    Ma, Barry  Concept link
    Nystuen, Jeffrey A.  Concept link
    Metadata
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    Citable URI
    https://hdl.handle.net/1912/3815
    As published
    https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JC005008
    DOI
    10.1029/2008JC005008
    Keyword
     Turbulence; Rain; Gas transfer 
    Abstract
    Results from a rain and gas exchange experiment (Bio2 RainX III) at the Biosphere 2 Center demonstrate that turbulence controls the enhancement of the air-sea gas transfer rate (or velocity) k during rainfall, even though profiles of the turbulent dissipation rate ɛ are strongly influenced by near-surface stratification. The gas transfer rate scales with ɛ inline equation for a range of rain rates with broad drop size distributions. The hydrodynamic measurements elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the rain-enhanced k results using SF6 tracer evasion and active controlled flux technique. High-resolution k and turbulence results highlight the causal relationship between rainfall, turbulence, stratification, and air-sea gas exchange. Profiles of ɛ beneath the air-sea interface during rainfall, measured for the first time during a gas exchange experiment, yielded discrete values as high as 10−2 W kg−1. Stratification modifies and traps the turbulence near the surface, affecting the enhancement of the transfer velocity and also diminishing the vertical mixing of mass transported to the air-water interface. Although the kinetic energy flux is an integral measure of the turbulent input to the system during rain events, ɛ is the most robust response to all the modifications and transformations to the turbulent state that follows. The Craig-Banner turbulence model, modified for rain instead of breaking wave turbulence, successfully predicts the near-surface dissipation profile at the onset of the rain event before stratification plays a dominant role. This result is important for predictive modeling of k as it allows inferring the surface value of ɛ fundamental to gas transfer.
    Description
    Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2009. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 114 (2009): C07009, doi:10.1029/2008JC005008.
    Collections
    • Biology
    Suggested Citation
    Journal of Geophysical Research 114 (2009): C07009
     

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