Posters

Poster Session 3, Wednesday,  October  5, 16:00–18:00

Poster 51

Satellite-based estimation of ocean turbulent fluxes and error sensitivity analysis for accuracy of air-sea variable

Energy exchange by the air-sea interaction is one of the important factors in maintaining the ocean and atmospheric circulation and modulating weather/climate systems. This study calculated oceanic turbulent heat fluxes (latent and sensible heat fluxes) using satellite-based air-sea variables (wind speed, sea surface temperature, air temperature, and atmospheric specific humidity) and the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) 3.5 bulk algorithm over the ocean around the Korean Peninsula during the period from 2014 to 2021. The air-sea variables, which are input data for the bulk algorithm, were obtained from infrared and microwave satellite data. Since the air temperature and specific humidity cannot be derived directly from the satellite observation, the variables were estimated using statistical methods and validated with measurements from marine buoy sites and the Kuroshio Extension Observatory. The spatial distribution of the latent and sensible heat fluxes was investigated, and the seasonality of heat fluxes was characterized based on the relationship with the related air-sea variables. Moreover, we analyzed the error sensitivity of the turbulent heat fluxes according to the estimation error of the air-sea variables. Because the accuracy of input variables applied to bulk algorithms should be prioritized when calculating flux indirectly through the air-sea variables (input variables), the results of error sensitivity analysis of this study would be used as a valuable information for improving and utilizing the flux outputs in the future work.

*Jaemin Kim, Chungnam National University, [email protected]

Yun Gon Lee, Chungnam National University, [email protected]

Seung Hee Kim, Institute for Earth, Computing, Human and Observing, Chapman University, [email protected]

Son V. Nghiem, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, [email protected]

Menas C. Kafatos, Institute for Earth, Computing, Human and Observing, Chapman University, [email protected]