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Probability distribution of sea surface wind stresses
Author(s) -
Monahan Adam H.
Publication year - 2008
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 - 10.1029/2007gl032268
Subject(s) - wind stress , probability density function , log wind profile , geology , surface (topology) , gaussian , probability distribution , wind speed , surface stress , surface layer , planetary boundary layer , boundary layer , meteorology , wind shear , mechanics , atmospheric sciences , mathematics , wind gradient , physics , geometry , layer (electronics) , statistics , materials science , oceanography , quantum mechanics , composite material
The probability density function (pdf) of sea surface wind stresses is considered. Observed sea surface wind stresses are highly non‐Gaussian, with characteristic relationships between moments. A consideration of empirical models of sea surface wind stress pdfs built from models of sea surface vector winds demonstrates that non‐Gaussian structure in the vector winds must be accounted for to accurately characterise the observed relationships between wind stress moments. An idealised stochastic boundary layer model is shown to provide a good qualitative characterisation of these pdfs.