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Wave‐Related Reynolds Number Parameterizations of CO 2 and DMS Transfer Velocities
Author(s) -
Brumer Sophia E.,
Zappa Christopher J.,
Blomquist Byron W.,
Fairall Christopher W.,
CifuentesLorenzen Alejandro,
Edson James B.,
Brooks Ian M.,
Huebert Barry J.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2017gl074979
Subject(s) - reynolds number , mechanics , breaking wave , wind speed , meteorology , physics , sea state , wind wave model , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , statistical physics , thermodynamics , turbulence , wave propagation , quantum mechanics
Predicting future climate hinges on our understanding of and ability to quantify air‐sea gas transfer. The latter relies on parameterizations of the gas transfer velocity k , which represents physical mass transfer mechanisms and is usually parameterized as a nonlinear function of wind forcing. In an attempt to reduce uncertainties in k , this study explores empirical parameterizations that incorporate both wind speed and sea state dependence via wave‐wind and breaking Reynolds numbers, R H and R B . Analysis of concurrent eddy covariance gas transfer and measured wavefield statistics supplemented by wave model hindcasts shows for the first time that wave‐related Reynolds numbers collapse four open ocean data sets that have a wind speed dependence of CO 2 transfer velocity ranging from lower than quadratic to cubic. Wave‐related Reynolds number and wind speed show comparable performance for parametrizing dimethyl sulfide (DMS) which, because of its higher solubility, is less affected by bubble‐mediated exchange associated with wave breaking.