Abstract
Turbulent flow in surface layer, the top few meters in the ocean, tends
to exhibit consistent and repeatable characteristics, and useful
empirical laws can be formed to shed light on turbulence
parameterization. Here, Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (MOST),
developed for the atmospheric surface layer, is examined for the ocean
surface layer. Using data collected from several moored surface flux
buoys, we consider the relationship between surface fluxes and
subsurface temperature gradients under a wide range of stability
conditions. Large deviations from MOST predictions are found in our
analysis, with smaller observed temperature gradients under both stable
and unstable forcing. We hypothesize that these are attributed to the
presence of Langmuir structures through interaction of Eulerian current
with Stokes drift, which is not included in traditional Monin-Obukhov
formulation. We examine the ability of recent Langmuir turbulence
closure models to predict the observed differences.