Comparing Estimates of Whitecap Coverage From a Spectral Wave Model With Oceanic Observations
Abstract The fractional or percentage whitecap coverage of the ocean surface (W) is often parameterized in terms of wind speed. Data sets of W typically show order of magnitude scatter at a given wind speed value due to sea state variability. Here we compare modeled values of W to measured W values...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112996 |
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| author | A. H. Callaghan J.‐R. Bidlot G. deLeeuw C. D. O’Dowd |
| author_facet | A. H. Callaghan J.‐R. Bidlot G. deLeeuw C. D. O’Dowd |
| author_sort | A. H. Callaghan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The fractional or percentage whitecap coverage of the ocean surface (W) is often parameterized in terms of wind speed. Data sets of W typically show order of magnitude scatter at a given wind speed value due to sea state variability. Here we compare modeled values of W to measured W values from the North Atlantic Ocean. The modeled W is forced by the spectrally integrated whitecap dissipation source function in the European Center for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts spectral wave model, ecWAM. Without tuning, best agreement is found for mature sea states, with an average modeled to measured W ratio of 0.87. This ratio approaches unity with the introduction of a dissipation rate threshold value and an explicit wave‐age dependence. The study suggests that accurate estimates of W can be routinely produced by ecWAM and opens new opportunities to model bubble‐mediated fluxes of CO2 and sea spray aerosol with ecWAM. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2d5c93ae3dbd4d7595a73e00b1d679fa |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-2d5c93ae3dbd4d7595a73e00b1d679fa2025-08-20T02:57:05ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-02-01523n/an/a10.1029/2024GL112996Comparing Estimates of Whitecap Coverage From a Spectral Wave Model With Oceanic ObservationsA. H. Callaghan0J.‐R. Bidlot1G. deLeeuw2C. D. O’Dowd3Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Imperial College London South Kensington UKECMWF Reading UKRoyal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) R & D Satellite Observations De Bilt The NetherlandsSchool of Natural Sciences Ryan Institute Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies University of Galway Galway IrelandAbstract The fractional or percentage whitecap coverage of the ocean surface (W) is often parameterized in terms of wind speed. Data sets of W typically show order of magnitude scatter at a given wind speed value due to sea state variability. Here we compare modeled values of W to measured W values from the North Atlantic Ocean. The modeled W is forced by the spectrally integrated whitecap dissipation source function in the European Center for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts spectral wave model, ecWAM. Without tuning, best agreement is found for mature sea states, with an average modeled to measured W ratio of 0.87. This ratio approaches unity with the introduction of a dissipation rate threshold value and an explicit wave‐age dependence. The study suggests that accurate estimates of W can be routinely produced by ecWAM and opens new opportunities to model bubble‐mediated fluxes of CO2 and sea spray aerosol with ecWAM.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112996whitecap coveragespectral wave modelecWAMenergy dissipationwave breakingbubbles |
| spellingShingle | A. H. Callaghan J.‐R. Bidlot G. deLeeuw C. D. O’Dowd Comparing Estimates of Whitecap Coverage From a Spectral Wave Model With Oceanic Observations Geophysical Research Letters whitecap coverage spectral wave model ecWAM energy dissipation wave breaking bubbles |
| title | Comparing Estimates of Whitecap Coverage From a Spectral Wave Model With Oceanic Observations |
| title_full | Comparing Estimates of Whitecap Coverage From a Spectral Wave Model With Oceanic Observations |
| title_fullStr | Comparing Estimates of Whitecap Coverage From a Spectral Wave Model With Oceanic Observations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparing Estimates of Whitecap Coverage From a Spectral Wave Model With Oceanic Observations |
| title_short | Comparing Estimates of Whitecap Coverage From a Spectral Wave Model With Oceanic Observations |
| title_sort | comparing estimates of whitecap coverage from a spectral wave model with oceanic observations |
| topic | whitecap coverage spectral wave model ecWAM energy dissipation wave breaking bubbles |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112996 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ahcallaghan comparingestimatesofwhitecapcoveragefromaspectralwavemodelwithoceanicobservations AT jrbidlot comparingestimatesofwhitecapcoveragefromaspectralwavemodelwithoceanicobservations AT gdeleeuw comparingestimatesofwhitecapcoveragefromaspectralwavemodelwithoceanicobservations AT cdodowd comparingestimatesofwhitecapcoveragefromaspectralwavemodelwithoceanicobservations |