A Simple Model for the Skewness of Global Sea Surface Winds

A strong linear relationship between the mean and skewness of global sea surface winds (both zonal and meridional) is shown to exist, such that where the wind component is on average positive, it is negatively skewed (and vice versa). This relationship is observed in reanalysis, satellite, and buoy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of the atmospheric sciences Vol. 61; no. 16; pp. 2037 - 2049
Main Author Monahan, Adam Hugh
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Boston, MA American Meteorological Society 15.08.2004
Subjects
Atmospheric models
Atmospheric pressure
Boundary layers
Convection, turbulence, diffusion. Boundary layer structure and dynamics
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Meteorology
Ocean temperature
Ocean-atmosphere interaction
Parameter estimation
Stochastic models
Turbulence
Wind
Winds and their effects
World ocean
Perturbation theory
Data analysis
Buoy
Wind field
Differential equation
Zonal wind
Spatial correlation
Turbulent boundary layer
Satellite observation
Similarity theory
Meridional wind
Air sea interface
Anticorrelation
Atmospheric boundary layer
White noise
Observation data
Forcing
Surface wind
Stochastic equation
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Summary:A strong linear relationship between the mean and skewness of global sea surface winds (both zonal and meridional) is shown to exist, such that where the wind component is on average positive, it is negatively skewed (and vice versa). This relationship is observed in reanalysis, satellite, and buoy data. This relationship between the mean and skewness fields of sea surface winds follows from the nonlinear surface drag predicted for a turbulent boundary layer by Monin-Obukhov similarity theory since forcing perturbations speeding the wind up are subject to a stronger drag force than perturbations slowing it down. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the results of an empirical fit of observed surface winds to a stochastic differential equation presented in a recent study by Sura are consistent with the white-noise limit of the momentum equations for a turbulent boundary layer subject to fluctuating forcing, albeit with a somewhat different physical interpretation. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
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ISSN:0022-4928
1520-0469
DOI:10.1175/1520-0469(2004)061<2037:ASMFTS>2.0.CO;2