The Near-Surface Layer of the Ocean

The rationale for publishing a second edition of this monograph is that this area of research continues to show remarkable advancement. The new generation of synthetic aperture radar satellites has provided unprecedented spatial resolution of sea surface features. In addition, satellites to measure sea surface salinity have been launched. Computational fluid dynamics models open new opportunities in understanding the processes in the near-surface layer of the ocean and their visibility from space. Passive acoustic methods for monitoring short surface waves have significantly progressed. Of importance for climate research, processes in the near-surface layer of the ocean contribute to errors in satellite estimates of sea surface temperature trends. Due to growing applications of near-surface science, it is anticipated that more students will be trained in this area of research. Therefore this second edition of the monograph is closer to a textbook format.

Updating the previous edition of the book due to remarkable results from synthetic aperture radar satellites, from satellites which measure sea surface salinity, and computational fluid dynamic models open new opportunities in understanding the processes in the near-surface layer of the ocean Monitoring short surface waves has significantly progressed due to passive acoustic methods Gives a comprehensive account of the structures and dynamics of the near-surface layer of the ocean Clarifies theoretical concepts that are developed from fundamental physics and thermodynamics Shows results of major air-sea interaction experiments (including those obtained with the participation of the authors), included in the analysis Includes an overview of the results for important oceanographic applications such as remote sensing, climate, hurricane physics, oil spills, marine biology, optics and acoustics Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext

Dr. Alexander Soloviev is an Associate Professor at the NOVA Southeastern University's Oceanographic Center, Dania Beach, Florida. He also worked as a research scientist in the two leading research institutions of the former Soviet Academy of Sciences: P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology and A.M. Oboukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics. Dr. Roger Lukas is a Professor in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawaii, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was one of the two principal organizers of a major international air-sea interaction experiment (TOGA/COARE) conducted during 1992-94 in the western equatorial Pacific.

Inhalt

Introduction.- Sea Surface Microlayer.- Near-Surface Turbulence.- Fine Structure and Microstructure.- Spatially Varying and Coherent Structures.- High Wind Speed Regime.- Applications.