Comparisons between Mean and Turbulent Parameters of Aircraft-Based and Ship-Based Measurements in the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer

The Structure des Echanges Mer-Atmosphère, Propriétés Océaniques/ Recherche Expérimentale (SEMAPHORE) experiment was conducted over the oceanic Azores current located in the Azores Basin. The evolution of the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) was studied based on the evaluation of mean and turbulent data using in situ measurements by a ship and two aircrafts. The sea surface temperature (SST) field was characterized by a gradient of approximately 1 °C/100 km. The SST measured by aircraft decreased at a ratio of 0.25 °C/100 m of altitude due to the divergence of the infrared radiation flux from the surface. With the exception of temperature, the mean parameters measured by the two aircrafts were in good agreement with each other. The sensible heat flux was more dispersed than the latent heat flux according to the comparisons between aircraft and aircraft, and aircraft and ship. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using two aircraft to describe the MABL and surface flux with confidence.

Reduced Sea-Surface Roughness Length at a Coastal Site

Sea-surface roughness length is a key parameter for characterizing marine atmospheric boundary layer. Although aerodynamic roughness lengths for homogeneous land and open water surfaces have been examined extensively, the extension of relevant knowledge to the highly inhomogeneous coastal area is problematic due to the complex mechanisms controlling coastal meteorology. This study presented a lidar-based observational analysis of sea-surface roughness length at a coastal site in Hong Kong, in which the wind data recorded from March 2012 to November 2015 were considered and analyzed. The results indicated the turning of wind near the land-sea boundary, leading to a dominative wind direction parallel to the coastline and an acceleration in wind. Moreover, the roughness lengths corresponding to two representative azimuthal sectors were compared, in which the roughness lengths for the onshore wind sector (i.e., 120°–240°) appear to be larger than the constant value (z0 = 0.2 mm) recommended in much existing literature, whereas the values for the alongshore wind sector (i.e., 60°–90°) are significantly smaller, i.e., about two orders of magnitude less than that of a typical sea surface. However, it is to be noted that the effect of atmospheric stability, which is of crucial importance in governing the marine atmospheric boundary layer, is not taken into account in this study.

Review of wind-wave coupling models for large-eddy simulation of the marine atmospheric boundary layer

We present a review of existing wind-wave coupling models and parameterizations used for large-eddy simulation of the marine atmospheric boundary layer. The models are classified into two main categories: (i) the wave phaseaveraged, sea-surface-roughness models and (ii) the wave phase-resolved models. Both categories are discussed from their implementation, validity, and computational efficiency viewpoints with emphasis given on their applicability in offshore wind energy problems. In addition to the various models discussed, a review of laboratory-scale and field-measurement databases are presented thereafter. The majority of the presented data have been gathered over many decades of studying air-sea interaction phenomena, with the most recent ones compiled to reflect an offshore wind energy perspective. Both provide valuable data for model validation. Finally, we also discuss the modeling knowledge gaps and computational challenges ahead.

How is the marine atmospheric boundary layer turbulence organized in the trades ?

<p>Tradewind clouds can exhibit a wide diversity of mesoscale organizations, and the turbulence of marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) can exhibit coherent structures and mesoscale circulations. One of the objectives of the EUREC4A (Elucidating the role of cloud-circulation coupling in climate) field experiment was to better understand the tight interplay between the mesoscale organization of clouds, boundary-layer processes, and the large-scale environment.</p><p>During the experiment, that took place East of Barbados over the Western Tropical Atlantic Ocean in Jan-Feb 2020, the French ATR-42 research aircraft was devoted to the characterization of the cloud amount and of the subcoud layer structure. <span>During its 17 research flights, </span><span>it</span> <span>sampled a </span><span>large diversity of large scale conditions and </span><span>cloud patterns</span><span>. </span>Multiple sensors onboard t<span>he aircraft measure</span><span>d</span> <span>high-frequency </span><span>fluctuations of potential temperature, water vapour mixing ratio and wind , allowing </span><span>for </span><span>an extensive characterization </span><span> of</span><span> the turbulence </span><span>within</span><span> the subcloud layer. </span> <span>A </span><span>quality-controled and calibrated turbulence data</span><span>set</span><span> was produced </span><span>on the basis of these measurements</span><span>, which is now </span><span> available on the EUREC4A AERIS data portal.</span></p><p><span>The </span><span>MABL </span><span>turbulent </span><span>structure i</span><span>s</span><span> studied </span><span>using this dataset, </span><span>through a spectral analysis </span><span>of the vertical velocity</span><span>. Vertical profiles of characteristic length scales reveal a non-isotropic structure with a stretching of the eddies along the mean wind. The organization strength of the turbulent field is also explored </span><span>by defining</span><span> a diagnostic based on the shape of the vertical velocity spectrum. </span><span>The </span><span>structure and the degree of organization of the </span><span>subcloud layer </span><span>are</span><span> characterized for </span><span> different type</span><span>s</span><span> of mesoscale </span><span>convective </span><span>pattern </span><span>and </span><span>as a function of</span><span> the large-scale environment, </span><span>including</span> <span>near-</span><span>surface wind </span><span>and</span> <span>lower-</span><span>tropospheric</span><span> stability conditions.</span></p><p> </p>

Spatio-temporal variability of the thermodynamic characteristics of the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) over the Indian and Southern Ocean (15oN to 70oS)

<p>The study deals with the thermodynamic characterization of marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) prevailing over regions of Indian Ocean and Indian Ocean sector of Southern Ocean from 29 high-resolution radiosondes launched during the International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2) and Southern Ocean Expedition (SOE-9). IIOE-2 was conducted during December 2015 onboard ORV Sagar Nidhi during which 11 radiosondes were launched, whereas SOE-9 was conducted during January-March 2017 onboard MV SA Agulhas which had 18 radiosonde ascents. These observations spanned latitudes from ~15<sup>o</sup>N to 70<sup>o</sup>S having crossed three major atmospheric circulation cells: Hadley cell, Ferrell cell and Polar cell. In addition, crucial atmospheric mesoscale phenomena such as inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ), sub-tropical jet (STJ) and polar jet (PJ) were encountered along with several oceanic fronts. Analysis of thermodynamic structure of MABL showed large variability in the formation of atmospheric sub-layers such as surface layer, mixed layer, cloud layer and trade wind inversion layer within MABL. MABL height varied spatially from tropics and mid-latitudes (12<sup>o</sup>N to 50<sup>o</sup>S) to polar latitudes (60<sup>o</sup>S to 68<sup>o</sup>S). Deep mixed layer were found over the tropics and mid-latitudes (~700 m) while shallow mixed layer was observed over the polar latitudes (~200 m). Deep mixed layer over the tropics were attributed to intense convective mixing while shallow mixed layer over polar regions was attributed to limited convective overturning associated with negative radiation balance at the surface. Convection was negligible over mid-latitudes (43<sup>o</sup>S to 55<sup>o</sup>S) where most of the atmospheric mixing were forced by frontal systems where lifting of air mass was mechanically driven by high speed winds rather than by convection. The enhanced convection over the tropics was confirmed from higher values of convective available potential energy (CAPE > 1000 J/kg) and large negative values of convective inhibition energy (CINE < -50 J/kg). Over the mid-latitude region (43<sup>o</sup>S to 50<sup>o</sup>S), enhanced advection and detrainment of convection was evident with maximum values of BRN shear (~65 knots) and lowest CAPE (~4 J/kg). Over polar latitudes (~60<sup>o</sup>S to 68<sup>o</sup>S), minimum CAPE (~17 J/kg) and low BRN shear (~5 knots) was noticed, which indicated presence of stable boundary layer conditions. A mesoscale phenomenon (i.e., ITCZ) was witnessed at ~5.92<sup>o</sup>S with highest CAPE ~2535.17 J/kg which signifies large convective instability resulting in strong convective updraft aiding thunderstorm activity and moderate precipitation over ITCZ. Analysis of conserved variables (CVA) revealed formation of second mixed layer (SML) structure between 12<sup>o</sup>N and 40<sup>o</sup>S. However, south of 40<sup>o</sup>S this structure ceases. The characteristics of SML structure and the plausible causes for its existence are also investigated.  </p>

Direct numerical simulation of droplet-mediated exchange fluxes in the marine atmospheric boundary layer

<p>Now it is a common knowledge that at sufficiently strong winds, sea-spray droplets interfere with  turbulent exchange processes occurring between atmosphere and hydrosphere. The results of field and laboratory experiments show that mass fraction of air-borne spume water droplets increases with the wind speed and their impact on the marine atmospheric boundary layer may become significant. The contribution of droplets to the momentum and sensible and latent heat fluxes may be crucial for our understanding of conditions favorable for the development of anomalous weather phenomena such as tropical hurricanes and polar lows. Phenomenological models and bulk algorithms are mostly based on hypothetical assumptions concerning the properties of droplet-air interaction which strongly influence the accuracy of their forecast. Lagrangian stochastic modeling also requires an adhoc knowledge of the properties of turbulent fields ‘seen’ by the droplets along their trajectories. These details of droplet-air interaction are difficult to measure in lab conditions and can be gleaned via direct numerical simulation (DNS). DNS solves primitive equations for the carrier air in the Eulerian frame and of droplets motion in a Lagrangian frame and accounts for the two-way coupling of momentum, heat and moisture between the carrier and dispersed phases, and allows us to investigate the droplet contribution to the exchange fluxes under different injection conditions and flow bulk parameters. The results obtained for different conditions show us that droplets dynamics and their contribution to the momentum and heat fluxes are controlled by many factors including droplets velocity at injection, the gravitational settling velocity, surface wave slope, bulk relative humidity and temperature of the atmospheric boundary layer as compared to the sea surface conditions.</p><p>This work is supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (Task No. 0030-2019-0020). Numerical algorithms were developed under the support of RFBR (20-05-00322, 21-55-52005, 18-05-60299). Postprocessing was performed under the support of the Russian Science Foundation (No. 19-17-00209).</p>

The Turbulent Structure of the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer During and Before a Cold Front

The turbulent structure within the marine atmospheric boundary layer is investigated based on four levels of observations at a fixed marine platform. During and before a cold front, the ocean surface is dominated by wind sea and swell waves, respectively, affording the opportunity to test the theory recently proposed in laboratory experiments or for flat land surfaces. The results reveal that the velocity spectra follow a k-1 law within the intermediate wavenumber (k) range immediately below inertial subrange during the cold front. A logarithmic height dependence of the horizontal velocity variances is also observed above the height of 20 m, while the vertical velocity variances increase with increasing height following a power law of 2/3. These features confirm the Attached Eddy Model and the “top-down model” of turbulence over the ocean surface. However, the behavior of velocity variances under swell conditions is much different from those during the cold front, although a remarkable k-1 law can be observed in the velocity spectra. The quadrant analysis of the momentum flux also shows a significantly different result for the two conditions.