Strong Air-Sea Interactions in the North Atlantic During CLIMODE

A proposal submitted to the National Science Foundation

John M. Bane

University of North Carolina

Christopher Zappa Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory

H

L

L

ATMOSPHERIC SURFACE PRESSUREHeight of 1000 mb surface (m)

Average: May-August 2001

COAST

NE

WP

OR

T

WIND JET

LINE 1 3 5 7

LINE 2 4 6 8

HECETA BANK

THERMOCLINE VARIATIONS THROUGHOUT COAST REGION

ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE INVERSION

INTERNAL BOUNDARY LAYER

SURFACE CURRENTS

Radar data courtesy M. Kosro

Strong Air-Sea Interactions in the North Atlantic During CLIMODE

A proposal submitted to the National Science Foundation

John M. Bane

University of North Carolina

Christopher Zappa Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory

C-130 Flight Program

Mid-Feb to Late-Mar

From Bermuda

Several cold air outbreaks

MABL structure

Surface heat, moisture, momentum fluxes

Upper-ocean temperature (AXBTs)

SST fine structure (SST Imager)

FLIGHT AREA CAN BE SHIFTED

• Weather conditio

ns

• Find highest flux region

• Ship overflight

• Buoy overflight

C-130 Flight Program

Mid-Feb to Late-Mar

From Bermuda

Several cold air outbreaks

MABL structure

Surface heat, moisture, momentum fluxes

Upper-ocean temperature (AXBTs)

SST fine structure (SST Imager)

NDBC 44004

**********

20 Cold Air Outbreaks

Air Temp < 10 oC, Wind Speed > 6 m/s, Wind Dir 115-205 oT

NDBC 44004 Jan-Feb-Mar 1994

Atmospheric Pressure

Air Temperature

NDBC 44004 Jan-Feb-Mar 1994

Atmospheric Pressure

Air Temperature

Water Temperature

CAO Sectionsduring GALE (1986)

WIND 8-10 m/s

Temperature Inversion

In-situ atmospheric and oceanic temperatureIn-situ atmospheric and oceanic temperature

Approx. Top of MABL

Vertical profiles of latent and sensible heat fluxesVertical profiles of latent and sensible heat fluxes

Temperature Inversion

Video image, TIR image, and spectra of the TIR image showing coherent ramp structures in the upper ocean. The lack of coherent parallel features in the video imagery suggests that the ocean surface features observed in the TIR imagery are not related to surface gravity waves. Here, the skewness of the temperature variability is 2.8, strongly suggestive of “billows” from shear-induced overturning.

WINDSUFR. CURRENT

Questions

• How do MABL structure and surface flux fields during CAOs in CLIMODE compare with other, previously measured WBCs?

• What are the small-scale features in the SST field and how do they relate to air-sea exchange processes?

• Why is this the region of annual-maximum heat flux? Are the CAOs stronger here or more frequent?

• Is there a local heat balance in the upper ocean?

• How well do aircraft-, buoy- and ship-measured surface fluxes compare with each other and with satellite estimates?

• Can front-parallel wind stresses be related to cold surface advection across the Gulf Stream SST front?

Questions

• How do MABL structure and surface flux fields during CAOs in CLIMODE compare with other, previously measured WBCs?

• What are the small-scale features in the SST field and how do they relate to air-sea exchange processes?

• Why is this the region of annual-maximum heat flux? Are the CAOs stronger here or more frequent?

• Is there a local heat balance in the upper ocean?

• How well do aircraft-, buoy- and ship-measured surface fluxes compare with each other and with satellite estimates?

• Can front-parallel wind stresses be related to cold surface advection across the Gulf Stream SST front?

Questions

• How do MABL structure and surface flux fields during CAOs in CLIMODE compare with other, previously measured WBCs?

• What are the small-scale features in the SST field and how do they relate to air-sea exchange processes?

• Why is this the region of annual-maximum heat flux? Are the CAOs stronger here or more frequent?

• Is there a local heat balance in the upper ocean?

• How well do aircraft-, buoy- and ship-measured surface fluxes compare with each other and with satellite estimates?

• Can front-parallel wind stresses be related to cold surface advection across the Gulf Stream SST front?

Questions

• How do MABL structure and surface flux fields during CAOs in CLIMODE compare with other, previously measured WBCs?

• What are the small-scale features in the SST field and how do they relate to air-sea exchange processes?

• Why is this the region of annual-maximum heat flux? Are the CAOs stronger here or more frequent?

• Is there a local heat balance in the upper ocean?

• How well do aircraft-, buoy- and ship-measured surface fluxes compare with each other and with satellite estimates?

• Can front-parallel wind stresses be related to cold surface advection across the Gulf Stream SST front?

Questions

• How do MABL structure and surface flux fields during CAOs in CLIMODE compare with other, previously measured WBCs?

• What are the small-scale features in the SST field and how do they relate to air-sea exchange processes?

• Why is this the region of annual-maximum heat flux? Are the CAOs stronger here or more frequent?

• Is there a local heat balance in the upper ocean?

• How well do aircraft-, buoy- and ship-measured surface fluxes compare with each other and with satellite estimates?

• Can front-parallel wind stresses be related to cold surface advection across the Gulf Stream SST front?

Questions

• How do MABL structure and surface flux fields during CAOs in CLIMODE compare with other, previously measured WBCs?

• What are the small-scale features in the SST field and how do they relate to air-sea exchange processes?

• Why is this the region of annual-maximum heat flux? Are the CAOs stronger here or more frequent?

• Is there a local heat balance in the upper ocean?

• How well do aircraft-, buoy- and ship-measured surface fluxes compare with each other and with satellite estimates?

• Can front-parallel wind stresses be related to cold surface advection across the Gulf Stream SST front?