Sea spray and gas transfer

Abstract

In this Chapter we investigate the natural complement of bubble plumes (air entrained in water), sea spray (water entrained in air). As air is entrained in the surface ocean under breaking waves, sea spray is generated from the bubble plumes and the breaking waves themselves. In the same way as bubble plumes, the size distribution and volume flux of sea spray is related to wind speed. The work involving sea spray has been modest relative to its counterpart though significant strides have been made. The momentum and heat flux transfer associated with spray droplets has been reasonably characterized, though the role of sea spray in gas exchange has not. We introduce the Andreas Gas Exchange Sea Spray model (AGES) as an effort to advance our knowledge of sea spray-mediated exchange and present a case study of the role sea spray may serve in gas exchange of the North and South Atlantic Ocean.