A global wave parameter database for geophysical applications. Part 1: Wave-current-turbulence interaction parameters for the open ocean based on traditional parameterizations

Abstract

Ocean surface mixing and drift are influenced by the mixed layer depth, buoyancy fluxes and currents below the mixed layer. Drift and mixing are also functions of the surface Stokes drift Uss, volume Stokes transport TS, a wave breaking height scale Hswg, and the flux of energy from waves to ocean turbulence Φoc. Here we describe a global database of these parameters, estimated from a well-validated numerical wave model, that uses traditional forms of the wave generation and dissipation parameterizations, and covers the years 2003-2007. Compared to previous studies, the present work has the advantage of being consistent with the known physical processes that regulate the wave field and the air-sea fluxes, and also consistent with a very large number of in situ and satellite observations of wave parameters. Consequently, some of our estimates differ significantly from previous estimates. In particular, we find that the mean global integral of Φoc is 68 TW, and the yearly mean value of TS is typically 10-30% of the Ekman transport, except in well-defined regions where it can reach 60%. We also have refined our previous estimates of Uss by using a better treatment of the high frequency part of the wave spectrum. In the open ocean, Uss ≃ 0.013U10, where U10 is the wind speed at 10 m height. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.