Thermodynamic Feedback Between Clouds and the Ocean Surface Mixed Layer

A cloud-ocean planetary boundary layer (OPBL) feedback mechanism is presented and tested in this paper. Water vapor, evaporated from the ocean surface or transported by the large-scale air flow, often forms convective clouds under a conditionally unstable lapse rate. The variable cloud cover and rai...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chu, P. C., Garwood, Jr, Roland W.
Other Authors: NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF OCEANOGRAPHY
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1989
Subjects:
Meteorology
Snow
Ice and Permafrost
*OCEAN SURFACE
*RAINFALL
*OCEAN MODELS
*CLOUD COVER
REPRINTS
THERMODYNAMICS
WATER VAPOR
CUMULUS CLOUDS
LAPSE RATE
SALINITY
OSCILLATION
MIXED LAYER(MARINE)
AIR FLOW
TEMPERATURE
Ice
permafrost
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA480189
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA480189
Description
Summary:A cloud-ocean planetary boundary layer (OPBL) feedback mechanism is presented and tested in this paper. Water vapor, evaporated from the ocean surface or transported by the large-scale air flow, often forms convective clouds under a conditionally unstable lapse rate. The variable cloud cover and rainfall may base positive and negative feedback with the ocean mixed layer temperature and salinity structure. The coupling of the simplified Kuo's (1965) cumulus cloud model to the Kraus-Turner's (1967) ocean mixed layer model shows the existence of this feedback mechanism. The theory also predicts the generation of low frequency oscillation in the atmosphere and oceans. Pub. in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, v7 n1, p1-10, Feb 1990.

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