Energy Characteristics of Wind Flow over a Rough Ocean Surface

G. V. Matushevskii and I. M. Kabatchenko

The power of the wind flow in the surface boundary layer is determined. Two time scales, quasistationary and climatic, are examined. In the first case, well studied earlier, the power is given for a fixed height and its dimension of 1 W per 1 m2 of a vertical unit area. In the more general second case, the power of the flow is determined for an air colunm within the marine boundary layer whose depth varies in time depending on wind speed. The dimension of this quantity is 1 W per 1 m of width of a vertical plane with a height equal to the height of the boundary layer. An example of calculation is given in a hypothetical case and over the Atlantic Ocean based on data of long-term measurements at the India and Mike weather station. Such calculation make it possible to assess the variability of the wind regime.