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Experimental Studies of Surface Wave Breaking and Air Entrainment

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Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces

Part of the book series: Water Science and Technology Library ((WSTL,volume 2))

Abstract

Results of recent experiments and theory have shown that steep water waves are subject to three-dimensional instabilities that lead to breaking, turbulence and bubble generation by air entrainment. Three-dimensional breaking waves and bubble trajectories are shown here in photographs that give evidence that the plunging faces of breakers generate and entrain air bubbles. Bubbles are often injected to depths exceeding the wave height and larger bubbles rupture at the surface within a wave period. The implications of these processes in air-sea gas exchanges is briefly discussed.

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© 1984 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Su, MY., Green, A.W., Bergin, M.T. (1984). Experimental Studies of Surface Wave Breaking and Air Entrainment. In: Brutsaert, W., Jirka, G.H. (eds) Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces. Water Science and Technology Library, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1660-4_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1660-4_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-8393-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-1660-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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