Computations of air-sea energy flux and stability of atmospheric boundary layer over Bay of Bengal

Abstract

Marine surface meteorological data collected simultaneously from 4 selected stations in the Bay of Bengal were analysed. During the last phase of observational schedule, when the monsoon circulation was reviving, radiation flux decreased and turbulent fluxes increased. While sea gained heat during the initial periods, heat loss from sea was observed at all stations during the last phase of observations. Stability indices, based on the Monin-Obukhov length, indicated that surface layers were unstable during the break monsoon conditions and became near-neutral with the re-establishment of monsoon circulation. Relative importance of wind stress and buoyancy in the mixing process at the marine boundary layer was also examined.