A Parameterization of the Roughness Length for the Air-Sea Interface in Free Convection

Abstract

The response of the upper ocean to the parameterization of the roughness length z0 on the air side of the air-sea interface is studied using a one-dimensional mixed-layer model. In particular, it is shown that in the free convection limit when both the wind speed and the friction velocity approach zero, the familiar Charnock formula for the momentum roughness, which relies solely on wind gen- eration, can be modified to account for contributions arising from the thermally generated turbulence. Therefore, a new parameterization is proposed for the momentum roughness length which extends the Charnock formula down to zero friction velocity. The value of a parameter which enters in the new formulation is determined by making use of exsisting free convection surface flux parameterizations. The effect of the new parameterization on the model performance is tested using data from the ocean weathership station Papa (OWS P), and data from the Long-Term Upper-Ocean Study (LOTUS) experiment. Simulations were carried out using a recently developed one-dimensional, second-order, turbulence closure scheme over diurnal as well as seasonal time scales. The findings suggest that the new momentum roughness parameterization improves the overall agreement between the observed and simulated sea-surface temperature (SST).