Optimal Power-Law Description of Oceanic Whitecap Coverage Dependence on Wind Speed
- 1 December 1980
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Meteorological Society in Journal of Physical Oceanography
- Vol. 10 (12) , 2094-2099
- https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(1980)010<2094:opldoo>2.0.co;2
Abstract
The optimal power-law expression for the dependence of oceanic whitecap coverage fraction W on 10 m elevation wind speed U as determined by ordinary least squares fitting applied to the combined whitecap data sets of Monahan (1971) and Toba and Chaen (1973), is W = 2.95 × 10−6 U3.52. The equivalent expression, obtained by the application of the technique of robust biweight fitting, is W = 3.84 × 10−6 U3.41. These expressions fit the combined data set better than any of the previously published equations. Abstract The optimal power-law expression for the dependence of oceanic whitecap coverage fraction W on 10 m elevation wind speed U as determined by ordinary least squares fitting applied to the combined whitecap data sets of Monahan (1971) and Toba and Chaen (1973), is W = 2.95 × 10−6 U3.52. The equivalent expression, obtained by the application of the technique of robust biweight fitting, is W = 3.84 × 10−6 U3.41. These expressions fit the combined data set better than any of the previously published equations.This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- Oceanic WhitecapsJournal of Physical Oceanography, 1971
- The electrification of the atmosphere by particles from bubbles in the seaProgress in Oceanography, 1963