Gas Exchange via Sea Spray: A Refined Model

Allison Staniec, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, United States, Penny Vlahos, University of Connecticut, Marine Sciences, Groton, United States and Edward C Monahan, University of Connecticut, Marine Sciences, Groton, CT, United States
Abstract:
Sea spray generation functions cover a wide range of volume fluxes, number fluxes, and droplet size spectra. Generating a comprehensive estimation of spray contribution to physical and chemical exchanges must therefore incorporate this wide range of potential fluxes. A model (AGES- Andreas Gas Exchange Model) has been created which estimates the flux of gas that may be expected from a single spray droplet, according to the temperature, size, relative humidity, and time aloft, for a variety of gases which are non-reactive to dissolution. This model will be further refined to give a better estimation of overall gas exchange by scaling the single droplet flux by a variety of sea spray generation functions and size spectra. These generation functions, chosen to represent reasonable upper and lower bounds as well as the average, will give upper and lower bounds of potential sea spray contributions. A wind dependence would also be included. Gas exchange via sea spray droplets could then be compared to interfacial fluxes and discrepancies in global models where in situ measurements do not match model predictions, such as those in the Southern Ocean.
Back to: Fluxes and Physical Processes Near the Air-Sea Interface: Observations and Modeling (Cosponsored by the AMS Committee on Air-Sea Interaction) VI Posters