Wind Profile in the Wave Boundary Layer and Its Application in a Coupled Atmosphere‐Wave Model
Lichuan Wu, Fangli Qiao
Abstract
Abstract Current models cannot capture well the impacts of wind waves on the atmospheric boundary layer. Here, we proposed a new turbulence closure model to estimate the wind stress in the wave boundary layer from viscous stress, shear‐induced turbulent stress, wind‐sea induced stress, and swell‐induced upward stress separately. The misalignment between the wind stress and wind is also considered in the model. Single‐column simulations indicate that (a) the swell‐induced upward momentum flux increases the surface wind and changes the wind direction, (b) the misalignment between the upward momentum flux and wind has a more significant impact on the wind profile than that from the downward momentum flux, and (c) the impact of swell‐induced upward momentum flux decreases with atmospheric convection. The proposed closure scheme was implemented into an atmosphere‐wave coupled model. A month‐long simulation over the ocean off California shows that the surface wind can be altered up to 5% by ocean surface gravity waves.