A parametric study of the momentum flux at the air-sea interface

Abstract

A modified eddy correlation technique is applied to data obtained from a field experiment conducted in the Bight of Abaco during the Spring of 1990. The experiment yielded 3408 30 minute records of turbulent wind data sampled at 5 Hz. Wind stress estimates were successfully calculated for 3182 of these. The modification to the eddy correlation technique involved extending the cospectra to higher frequencies than were measured by the propeller anemometer to obtain a better estimate to the uw covariance. This resulted in a small increase to the uw covariance, and hence the drag coefficient.