scholarly journals Ocean bubbles under high wind conditions. Part 1: Bubble distribution and development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Czerski ◽  
Ian M. Brooks ◽  
Steve Gunn ◽  
Robin Pascal ◽  
Adrian Matei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Void Fraction ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Surface Flow ◽  
Stokes Drift ◽  
Gas Transfer ◽  
Langmuir Circulation ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Void Fractions ◽  
Bubble Plumes

Abstract. The bubbles generated by breaking waves are of considerable scientific interest due to their influence on air-sea gas transfer, aerosol production, and upper ocean optics and acoustics. However, a detailed understanding of the processes creating deeper bubble plumes (extending 2–10 metres below the ocean surface) and their significance for air-sea gas exchange is still lacking. Here, we present bubble measurements from the HiWinGS expedition in the North Atlantic in 2013, collected during several storms with wind speeds of 10–27 m s−1. A suite of instruments was used to measure bubbles from a self-orienting free-floating spar buoy: a specialised bubble camera, acoustical resonators, and an upward-pointing sonar. The focus in this paper is on bubble void fractions and plume structure. The results are consistent with the presence of a heterogeneous shallow bubble layer occupying the top 1–2 m of the ocean which is regularly replenished by breaking waves, and deeper plumes which are only formed from the shallow layer at the convergence zones of Langmuir circulation. These advection events are not directly connected to surface breaking. The void fraction distributions at 2 m depth show a sharp cut-off at a void fraction of 10−4.5 even in the highest winds, implying the existence of mechanisms limiting the void fractions close to the surface. Below wind speeds of 16 m s−1 or RHw = 2 × 106, the probability distribution of void fraction at 2 m depth is very similar in all conditions, but increases significantly above either threshold. Void fractions are significantly different during periods of rising and falling winds, but there is no distinction with wave age. There is a complex near-surface flow structure due to Langmuir circulation, Stokes drift, and wind-induced current shear which influences the spatial distribution of bubbles within the top few metres. We do not see evidence for slow bubble dissolution as bubbles are carried downwards, implying that collapse is the more likely termination process. We conclude that the shallow and deeper bubble layers need to be studied simultaneously to link them to the 3D flow patterns in the top few metres of the ocean. Many open questions remain about the extent to which deep bubble plumes contribute to air-sea gas transfer. A companion paper (Czerski, 2021) addresses the observed bubble size distributions and the processes responsible for them.

Detection and Characterization of Microscale Breaking Waves

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. Kamran Siddiqui ◽  
Mark R. Loewen
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Water Surface ◽  
Air Entrainment ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Skin Layer ◽  
Wave Crest ◽  
Gas Transfer ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
The Waves

Microscale breaking waves are short wind-generated waves that break without air entrainment. At low to moderate wind speeds microscale breaking waves play an important role in enhancing air-water heat and gas transfer. We report on a series of experiments conducted in a wind-wave flume at Harris Hydraulics Laboratory (University of Washington, Seattle) designed to investigate the importance of microscale breaking waves in generating near-surface turbulence and in enhancing air-sea gas and heat transfer rates. Non-invasive experiments were performed at wind speeds ranging from 4.5 m/s to 11 m/s and at a fetch of 5.5 m. The skin-layer or water surface temperature was measured using an infrared (IR) imager and digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) was used to obtain simultaneous measurements of the two-dimensional velocities immediately below the water surface. Analysis of the simultaneous DPIV and infrared datasets revealed that microscale breaking waves generate strong vortices in their crests that disrupt the cool skin layer at the water surface and create thermal wakes that are visible in the infrared images. While non-breaking waves do not generate strong vortices and hence do not disrupt the skin layer. We developed a scheme based on the magnitude of vorticity in the wave crest to identify microscale breaking waves. The results show that at a wind speed of 4.5 m/s, 11% of the waves broke. The percentage of breaking waves increased with wind speed and at a wind speed of 11 m/s, 91% of the waves were microscale breaking waves. Comparison of different geometric and flow properties of microscale breaking and non-breaking waves revealed that microscale breaking waves are steeper, larger in amplitude and generate more turbulent kinetic energy compared to non-breaking waves.

scholarly journals Ocean bubbles under high wind conditions. Part 2: Bubble size distributions and implications for models of bubble dynamics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Czerski ◽  
Ian M. Brooks ◽  
Steve Gunn ◽  
Robin Pascal ◽  
Adrian Matei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Void Fraction ◽  
Bubble Size ◽  
Initial Surface ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Bubble Plume ◽  
High Wind ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Void Fractions ◽  
Bubble Plumes

Abstract. Bubbles formed by breaking waves in the open ocean influence many surface processes but are poorly understood. We report here on detailed bubble size distributions measured during the High Wind Speed Gas Exchange Study (HiWinGS) in the North Atlantic, during four separate storms with hourly averaged wind speeds from 10–27 m s−1. The measurements focus on the deeper plumes formed by advection downwards (at 2 m depth and below), rather than the initial surface distributions. Our results suggest that bubbles reaching a depth of 2 m have already evolved to form a heterogeneous but statistically stable population in the top 1–2 metres of the ocean. These shallow bubble populations are carried downwards by coherent near-surface circulations; bubble evolution at greater depths is consistent with control by local gas saturation, surfactant coatings and pressure. We find that at 2 m the maximum bubble radius observed has a very weak wind speed dependence and is too small to be explained by simple buoyancy arguments. For void fractions greater than 10−6, bubble size distributions at 2 m can be fitted by a two-slope power law (with slopes of −0.3 for bubbles of radius < 80 μm and −4.4 for larger sizes). If normalised by void fraction, these distributions collapse to a very narrow range, implying that the bubble population is relatively stable and the void fraction is determined by bubbles spreading out in space rather than changing their size over time. In regions with these relatively high void fractions we see no evidence for slow bubble dissolution. When void fractions are below 10−6, the peak volume of the bubble size distribution is more variable, and can change systematically across a plume at lower wind speeds, tracking the void fraction. Relatively large bubbles (80 μm in radius) are observed to persist for several hours in some cases, following periods of very high wind. Our results suggest that local gas supersaturation around the bubble plume may have a strong influence on bubble lifetime, but significantly, the deep plumes themselves cannot be responsible for this supersaturation. We propose that the supersaturation is predominately controlled by the dissolution of bubbles in the top metre of the ocean, and that this bulk water is then drawn downwards, surrounding the deep bubble plume and influencing its lifetime. In this scenario, oxygen uptake is associated with deep bubble plumes, but is not driven directly by them. We suggest that as bubbles move to depths greater than 2 m, sudden collapse may be more significant as a bubble destruction mechanism than slow dissolution, especially in regions of high void fraction. Finally, we present a proposal for the processes and timescales which form and control these deeper bubble plumes.

Void fraction measurements in breaking waves

2007 ◽  
Vol 463 (2088) ◽  
pp. 3151-3170 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.E Blenkinsopp ◽  
J.R Chaplin
Keyword(s):  
Void Fraction ◽  
Wave Breaking ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Phase Detection ◽  
Bubble Plume ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Void Fractions ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Energy Dissipated ◽  
Degree Of Similarity

This paper describes detailed measurements and analysis of the time-varying distribution of void fractions in three different breaking waves under laboratory conditions. The measurements were made with highly sensitive optical fibre phase detection probes and document the rapid spatial and temporal evolutions of both the bubble plume generated beneath the free surface and the splashes above. Integral properties of the measured void fraction fields reveal a remarkable degree of similarity between characteristics of the two-phase flow in different breaker types as they evolve with time. Depending on the breaker type, the energy expended in entraining air and generating splash accounts for a minimum of between 6.5 and 14% of the total energy dissipated during wave breaking.

scholarly journals First air–sea gas exchange laboratory study at hurricane wind speeds

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1971-1996
Author(s):  
K. E. Krall ◽  
B. Jähne
Keyword(s):  
Wave Breaking ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Wind Wave ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Gas Transfer ◽  
Transfer Velocity ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Hurricane Wind ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Enhanced Surface

Abstract. In a pilot study conducted in October and November 2011, air–sea gas transfer velocities of the two sparingly soluble trace gases hexafluorobenzene and 1,4-difluorobenzene were measured in the unique High-Speed Wind-Wave Tank at Kyoto University, Japan. This air–sea interaction facility is capable of producing hurricane strength wind speeds of up to u10=67 m s−1. This constitutes the first lab study of gas transfer at such high wind speeds. The measured transfer velocities k600 spanned two orders of magnitude, lying between 11 cm h−1 and 1180 cm h−1 with the latter being the highest ever measured wind induced gas transfer velocity. The measured gas transfer velocities are in agreement with the only available dataset at hurricane wind speeds (McNeil and D'Asaro, 2007). The disproportionately large increase of the transfer velocities found at highest wind speeds indicates a new regime of air–sea gas transfer, which is characterized by strong wave breaking, enhanced turbulence and bubble cloud entrainment. It was found that tracers spanning a wide range of solubilities and diffusivities are needed to separate the effects of enhanced surface area and turbulence due to breaking waves from the effects of bubble and spray mediated gas transfer.

scholarly journals Assessing the potential for DMS enrichment at the sea-surface and its influence on air–sea flux

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. F. Walker ◽  
M. J. Harvey ◽  
M. J. Smith ◽  
T. G. Bell ◽  
E. S. Saltzman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Surface ◽  
Gas Transfer ◽  
Surface Microlayer ◽  
Surface Seawater ◽  
Biological Factors ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Sea Surface Microlayer ◽  
High Enrichment

Abstract. The flux of dimethylsulfide (DMS) to the atmosphere is generally inferred using water sampled at or below 2 m depth, thereby excluding any concentration anomalies at the air–sea interface. Two independent techniques were used to assess the potential for near-surface DMS enrichment to influence DMS emissions and also identify the factors influencing enrichment. DMS measurements in productive frontal waters over the Chatham Rise, east of New Zealand, did not identify any significant DMS gradients between 0.01 and 6 m in sub-surface seawater, whereas DMS enrichment in the sea-surface microlayer was variable, with a mean enrichment factor (EF; the concentration ratio between DMS in the SSM and in sub-surface water) of 1.7. Physical and biological factors influenced sea-surface microlayer DMS concentration, with high enrichment (EF > 1.3) only recorded in a dinoflagellate-dominated bloom, and associated with low to medium wind speeds and near-surface temperature gradients. On occasion, high DMS enrichment preceded periods when the air–sea DMS flux, measured by eddy covariance, exceeded the flux calculated using COARE parameterised gas transfer velocities and measured sub-surface seawater DMS concentrations. The results of these two independent approaches suggest that air–sea emissions may be influenced by near-surface DMS production under certain conditions, and highlights the need for further study to constrain the magnitude and mechanisms of DMS production in the sea surface microlayer.

scholarly journals Effects of Wave Breaking on the Near-Surface Profiles of Velocity and Turbulent Kinetic Energy

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 490-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Melsom ◽  
Øyvind SÆtra
Keyword(s):  
Surface Stress ◽  
Wave Breaking ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Surface Region ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Stokes Drift ◽  
Surface Velocity ◽  
Momentum Exchange ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
The Mean

Abstract A theoretical model for the near-surface velocity profile in the presence of breaking waves is presented. Momentum is accumulated by growing waves and is released upon wave breaking. In effect, such a transition is a process involving a time-dependent surface stress acting on the mean current. In this paper, conventional theory for the Stokes drift is expanded to fourth-order accuracy in wave steepness. It is shown that the higher-order terms lead to an enhancement of the surface Stokes drift and a slight retardation of the Stokes volume flux. Furthermore, the results from the wave theory are used to obtain a bulk parameterization of momentum exchange during the process of wave breaking. The mean currents are then obtained by application of a variation of the “level 2.5” turbulence closure theory of Mellor and Yamada. When compared with the traditional approach of a constant surface stress, the mean Eulerian current exhibits a weak enhancement in the near-surface region, compensated by a negative shift deeper in the water column. However, it is found that the results of Craig and Banner and the results of Craig are not significantly affected by the present theory. Hence, this study helps to explain why the Craig and Banner model agrees well with observations when a realistic, time-varying surface stress acts on the drift currents.

Characteristics of the wind drift layer and microscale breaking waves

2007 ◽  
Vol 573 ◽  
pp. 417-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. KAMRAN SIDDIQUI ◽  
MARK R. LOEWEN
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wave Breaking ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Wind Drift ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Rate Of Dissipation ◽  
Drift Layer

An experimental study, investigating the mean flow and turbulence in the wind drift layer formed beneath short wind waves was conducted. The degree to which these flows resemble the flows that occur in boundary layers adjacent to solid walls (i.e. wall-layers) was examined. Simultaneous DPIV (digital particle image velocimetry) and infrared imagery were used to investigate these near-surface flows at a fetch of 5.5 m and wind speeds from 4.5 to 11 m s−1. These conditions produced short steep waves with dominant wavelengths from 6 cm to 18 cm. The mean velocity profiles in the wind drift layer were found to be logarithmic and the flow was hydrodynamically smooth at all wind speeds. The rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy was determined to be significantly greater in magnitude than would occur in a comparable wall-layer. Microscale breaking waves were detected using the DPIV data and the characteristics of breaking and non-breaking waves were compared. The percentage of microscale breaking waves increased abruptly from 11% to 80% as the wind speed increased from 4.5 to 7.4 m s− and then gradually increased to 90% as the wind speed increased to 11 m s−. At a depth of 1 mm, the rate of dissipation was 1.7 to 3.2 times greater beneath microscale breaking waves compared to non-breaking waves. In the crest–trough region beneath microscale breaking waves, 40% to 50% of the dissipation was associated with wave breaking. These results demonstrated that the enhanced near-surface turbulence in the wind drift layer was the result of microscale wave breaking. It was determined that the rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy due to wave breaking is a function of depth, friction velocity, wave height and phase speed as proposed by Terray et al. (1996). Vertical profiles of the rate of dissipation showed that beneath microscale breaking waves there were two distinct layers. Immediately beneath the surface, the dissipation decayed as ζ−0.7 and below this in the second layer it decayed as ζ−2. The enhanced turbulence associated with microscale wave breaking was found to extend to a depth of approximately one significant wave height. The only similarity between the flows in these wind drift layers and wall-layers is that in both cases the mean velocity profiles are logarithmic. The fact that microscale breaking waves were responsible for 40%–50% of the near-surface turbulence supports the premise that microscale breaking waves play a significant role in enhancing the transfer of gas and heat across the air–sea interface.

scholarly journals Natural variability in air–sea gas transfer efficiency of CO2

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingxi Yang ◽  
Timothy J. Smyth ◽  
Vassilis Kitidis ◽  
Ian J. Brown ◽  
Charel Wohl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Transfer Efficiency ◽  
Gas Transfer ◽  
Transfer Velocity ◽  
Concentration Difference ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Surface Active ◽  
The Mean

AbstractThe flux of CO2 between the atmosphere and the ocean is often estimated as the air–sea gas concentration difference multiplied by the gas transfer velocity (K660). The first order driver for K660 over the ocean is wind through its influence on near surface hydrodynamics. However, field observations have shown substantial variability in the wind speed dependencies of K660. In this study we measured K660 with the eddy covariance technique during a ~ 11,000 km long Southern Ocean transect. In parallel, we made a novel measurement of the gas transfer efficiency (GTE) based on partial equilibration of CO2 using a Segmented Flow Coil Equilibrator system. GTE varied by 20% during the transect, was distinct in different water masses, and related to K660. At a moderate wind speed of 7 m s−1, K660 associated with high GTE exceeded K660 with low GTE by 30% in the mean. The sensitivity of K660 towards GTE was stronger at lower wind speeds and weaker at higher wind speeds. Naturally-occurring organics in seawater, some of which are surface active, may be the cause of the variability in GTE and in K660. Neglecting these variations could result in biases in the computed air–sea CO2 fluxes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document