Using eddy covariance to estimate air–sea gas transfer velocity for oxygen

Abstract

Air–sea gas transfer velocity for O2 is calculated using directly measured fluxes with the eddy covariance technique. It is a direct method and is frequently used to determine fluxes of heat, humidity, and CO2, but has not previously been used to estimate transfer velocities for O2, using atmospheric eddy covariance data. The measured O2 fluxes are upward directed, in agreement with the measured air–sea gradient of the O2 concentration, and opposite to the direction of the simultaneously measured CO2 fluxes. The transfer velocities estimated from measurements are compared with prominent wind speed parameterizations of the transfer velocity for CO2 and O2, previously established from various measurement techniques. Our result indicates stronger wind speed dependence for the transfer velocity of O2 compared to CO2 starting at intermediate wind speeds. This stronger wind speed dependence appears to coincide with the onset of whitecap formation in the flux footprint and the strong curvature of a cubic wind-dependent function for the transfer velocity provides the best fit to the data. Additional data using the measured O2 flux and an indirect method (based on the Photosynthetic Quotient) to estimate oxygen concentration in water, support the stronger wind dependence for the transfer velocity of O2 compared to CO2.