OHATS – Ocean Horizontal Array Turbulence Study
Researchers from WHOI and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) deployed an array of sonic anemometers at the Air-Sea Interaction Tower (ASIT) south of Martha’s Vineyard to investigate wind-wave interactions and their effects on climate variability. The array, suspended below the 12-meter ASIT platform, was composed of two levels with nine sonics each at about 5 and 5.5 meters (16-17 feet) above mean sea level. Three laser altimeters were also deployed from the platform in a 2-meter triangle to collect information on the underlying wave field. Data collection from these arrays began in early August 2004.
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), this project investigated the physical processes that generate and/or modulate the turbulent transfer of momentum, heat, and mass through the atmospheric surface layer. Of primary interest was the influence of wind-generated waves on air-sea fluxes and the marine surface layer. The ultimate goal was to improve how these wave-induced processes are simulated in numerical models.
