|
Detailed Reference Information |
Leifer, I., Caulliez, G. and de Leeuw, G. (2006). Bubbles generated from wind-steepened breaking waves: 2. Bubble plumes, bubbles, and wave characteristics. Journal of Geophysical Research 111: doi: 10.1029/2004JC002676. issn: 0148-0227. |
|
Measurements of breaking-wave-generated bubble plumes were made in fresh (but not clean) water in a large wind-wave tunnel. To preserve diversity, a classification scheme was developed on the basis of plume dimensions and "optical density," or the plume's ability to obscure the background. Optically dense plumes were due to the presence of a peak at large radius in the plume bubble size distribution. For each class, the plume formation rate, P, was measured at different fetches. The relationship between wave-breaking characteristics and the bubble plume evolution is examined in detail for these experiments. The wave-breaking rate and intensity were strongly fetch-dependent as the mechanically steepened wind waves rapidly evolved with fetch because of wind, dissipation, and nonlinear wave-wave interactions. P followed the trend in wave breaking, reaching a maximum at the fetch of maximum wave breaking. The ratio of dense to diffuse plumes was more sensitive to the wave-breaking intensity. Using P and the bubble population size distributions for each class, the global bubble plume injection size distribution, Ψi(r), where r is radius, was calculated. Ψi decreased as Ψi ~ r-1.2 for r < 1700 ¿m and Ψi ~ r-3.9 for larger r. Total volume injection was 640 cm3 s-1, divided approximately equally between bubbles smaller and larger than 1700-¿m radius. Using plume volumes at maximum penetration for each class, a concentration distribution was calculated and showed plume concentrations greater than the background population by one to several orders of magnitude, depending upon r. |
|
|
|
BACKGROUND DATA FILES |
|
|
Abstract |
|
|
|
|
|
Keywords
Oceanography, Physical, Air/sea interactions (0312, 3339), Oceanography, Physical, Upper ocean and mixed layer processes, Oceanography, General, Instruments and techniques |
|
Publisher
American Geophysical Union 2000 Florida Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009-1277 USA 1-202-462-6900 1-202-328-0566 service@agu.org |
|
|
|