Effects of Breaking Waves on Air-Sea Gas Transfer (LUMINY)
conference paper
Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have bcen identified as important greenhouse gases. Other gases are important for climate because of their role in cloud formation (e.g., dimethylsulphide or DMS) or in chemical reactions involving ozone (e.g., methyl bromide). The oceans act as a reservoir for such gases. providing both a source and a sink. For poorly soluble gases, the exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere is slow. The rate of exchange of each gas is expressed in an exchange coefficient. the air-sea transfer velocity, which (at least for poorly soluble and unreactive gases) depends on molecular and turbulent transfer in the sea surface micro-layer. The value of air-sea transfer velocities and their dependence on environnmental conditions is only known approximately [Liss and Merlivat, 1986; Watson et al., 199l; Wanninkhof, 1992]. Breaking waves are a major but as yet poorly understood factor.
TNO Identifier
95215
Publisher
NRP Programme Office
Source title
Proceedings of the first NRP-II Symposium on Climate Change Research, Garderen, The Netherlands, 29-30 October 1998
Editor(s)
Kok, M.J.T.
Verweij, W.
Verweij, W.
Place of publication
Bilthoven
Pages
395-398