Polydisperse Sea Spray Effect on the Vertical Momentum Transport in Hurricanes - Research report

Sep 4, 2026

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This study investigates how sea-spray polydispersity alters vertical momentum transport in a turbulent marine atmospheric boundary layer under hurricane high-wind conditions. An Eulerian multi-fluid framework is developed to treat air and spray droplets of multiple sizes as coupled interpenetrating continua, and numerical solutions are analyzed across several droplet size distribution spectra and wind–spray correlation laws. Results show small and large droplets contribute differently to turbulent transport, unlike monodisperse models.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Sea-spray effects on the marine atmospheric boundary layer

Thermodynamic effect

Mechanical effect and competing mechanisms

Significance and study approach

Numerical multi-fluid modeling

Droplet size distribution and correlations

JULY 2024 RA S T I GE JE V AN D SU S L OV 1127 Polydisperse Sea Spray Effect on the Vertical Momentum Transport in Hurricanes YEVGENII RASTIGEJEVa AND SERGEY A. SUSLOVb a Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Applied Science and Technology Ph.D. Program, North Carolina A&TState University, Greensboro, North Carolina b Department of Mathematics, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia (Manuscript received 24 October 2023, in ﬁnal form 26 March 2024, accepted 8 April 2024) ABSTRACT: This study focuses on the inﬂuence of the sea spray polydispersity on the vertical transport of momentum ina turbulent marine atmospheric boundary layer in high-wind conditions of a hurricane. The Eulerian multiﬂuid model treating air and spray droplets of different sizes as interacting interpenetrating continua is developed and its numerical solutions are analyzed. Several droplet size distribution spectra and correlation laws relating wind speed and spray production intensity are considered. Polydisperse model solutions have conﬁrmed the difference between the roles small and large spray droplets play in modifying the turbulent momentum transport that have been previously identiﬁed by monodisperse spray models. The obtained results have also provided a physical explanation for the previously unreported phenomenon of the formation of thin low-eddy-viscosity “sliding” layers in strongly turbulent boundary layer ﬂows laden with predominantly ﬁne spray. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Achieving better accuracy in hurricane forecasts requires an in-depth understanding and accurate modeling of the ocean spray effect on the vertical ﬂuxes of momentum and heat in a hurricane boundary layer. It has been shown that this effect depends on the size distribution of spray droplets, also known as spray polydispersity. This study aims to investigate the inﬂuence of a polydisperse spray on the vertical momentum transport within hurricane boundary layers by employing a modern theory of turbulent disperse multiphase ﬂows. KEYWORDS: Turbulence; Air–sea interaction; Hurricanes/typhoons; Momentum; Surface ﬂuxes; Numerical analysis/modeling 1. Introduction The study of hurricanes and their dynamics has long been a topic of great importance, in particular, due to signiﬁcant property damage and loss of life they can cause. To minimize them, it is important to accurately forecast hurricane track and intensity. There is observational and theoretical evidence (Fairall et al. 1994; Mestayer et al. 1996; Van Eijk et al. 2001; Donelanet al. 2004; Makin 2005; Wu et al. 2015; Druzhinin et al. 2017; Tang et al. 2017; Garg et al. 2018; He et al. 2018; Rastigejev and Suslov 2019; Xu et al. 2021; Huang et al. 2022; Rastigejev and Suslov 2022; Richter and Wainwright 2023; Troitskaya et al. 2023; Xu et al. 2023) that ocean spray plays an important role in modifying the vertical enthalpy and momentum ﬂuxes in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) of a hurricane, thereby affecting its dynamics both thermodynamically and mechanically. However, the present understanding of the role of ocean spray in the air–sea turbulent exchange under high-wind conditions of hurricanes remains limited. This knowledge gap has hindered progress in the accurate prediction of hurricane intensity motivating further in-depth studies of sea spray that are also relevant to many other contexts such as understanding the inﬂuence of spray on ice accumulation on vessels at high latitudes (Panov 1978; Line et al. 2022), gas exchange between ocean and atmosphere (Staniec et al. 2021; Gutiérrez-Loza et al. Corresponding author: Yevgenii Rastigejev, ye_rast@yahoo. com 2022), formation of aerosols (Burrows et al. 2022; Su et al. 2022), and climate dynamics (Song et al. 2022; Bruch et al. 2023). There are two distinct ways in which sea spray can affect the MABL: thermodynamic and mechanical (Rastigejev and Suslov 2016) . The thermodynamic effect is due to moisture

FAQs

What is the focus of the study on sea spray and hurricanes?

The study focuses on how sea-spray polydispersity influences vertical momentum transport in the turbulent boundary layer of hurricanes under high-wind conditions.

What modeling approach is used to analyze the effect?

It develops an Eulerian multi-fluid model that treats air and spray droplets of different sizes as interacting interpenetrating continua, then analyzes numerical solutions.

How do polydisperse droplets change turbulence-driven momentum transport compared with monodisperse models?

Polydisperse solutions confirm distinct roles of small versus large droplets in modifying turbulent momentum transport, differing from what monodisperse spray models previously indicated.

Sep 4, 2026

Uploaded by Terk