An examination of turbulent dissipation in the marine boundary layer.

Abstract

Shipboard measurements of temperature and velocity fluctuations were performed to determine optical propagation properties of the marine boundary layer. Empirical expressions describing the temperature structure parameter, C(T)² , in terms of the Richardson number, Ri , overland were used to evaluate data obtained for open ocean conditions. Profiles of the dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy, e, with respect to height, Z, and with respect to a stability parameter, Z/L, were examined for open ocean conditions. In general, there was little correlation between the measured C(T)² and the stability parameter. However, the distribution of e with height for both the stable and unstable cases showed little deviation from that expected for near neutral conditions.