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A Practical bi-parameter formula of gas transfer velocity depending on wave states

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Abstract

The parameter that describes the kinetics of the air-sea exchange of a poorly soluble gas is the gas transfer velocity which is often parameterized as a function of wind speed. Both theoretical and experimental studies suggest that wind waves and their breaking can significantly enhance the gas exchange at the air-sea interface. A relationship between gas transfer velocity and a turbulent Reynolds number related to wind waves and their breaking is proposed based on field observations and drag coefficient formulation. The proposed relationship can be further simplified as a function of the product of wind speed and significant wave height. It is shown that this bi-parameter formula agrees quantitatively with the wind speed based parameterizations under certain wave age conditions. The new gas transfer velocity attains its maximum under fully developed wave fields, in which it is roughly dependent on the square of wind speed. This study provides a practical approach to quantitatively determine the effect of waves on the estimation of air-sea gas fluxes with routine observational data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physical Oceanography Laboratory, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China

    Dongliang Zhao

  2. Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Dongliang Zhao & Lian Xie

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  1. Dongliang Zhao
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  2. Lian Xie
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Correspondence to Dongliang Zhao.

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Zhao, D., Xie, L. A Practical bi-parameter formula of gas transfer velocity depending on wave states. J Oceanogr 66, 663–671 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-010-0054-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-010-0054-4

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