The wave state and sea spray related parameterization of wind stress applicable from low to extreme winds

[1] Recent field and laboratory observations indicate that the variation of drag coefficient with wind speed at high winds is different from that under low-to-moderate winds. By taking the effects of wave development and sea spray into account, a parameterization of sea surface aerodynamic roughness applicable from low to extreme winds is proposed. The corresponding relationship between drag coefficient and sea surface wind speed agrees well with the existing field and laboratory observational data. It is shown that, under low-to-moderate wind conditions so that the sea spray effects could be neglected, the nondimensional aerodynamic roughness first increases and then decreases with the increasing wave age; whereas under high wind conditions, the drag coefficient decreases with the increasing wind speed due to the modification of the logarithmic wind profile by the effect of sea spray droplets produced by bursting bubbles or wind tearing breaking wave crests. The drag coefficients and sea surface aerodynamic roughnesses reach their maximum values when the 10 m wind speeds are between 25 and 33 m s 1 for different wave developments. Correspondingly, the reduction of drag coefficient under high winds reduces the increasing rate of friction velocity with increasing wind speed.