Gas Exchange and Bubble-Induced Supersaturation in a Wind-Wave Tank

Gas exchange and bubble-induced supersaturation were measured in a wind-wave tank using total gas saturation meters. The water in the tank was subjected to bubbling using a large number of frits at a depth of 0.6 m. A simple linear model of bubble-mediated gas exchange implies that this should force...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of atmospheric and oceanic technology 2004-12, Vol.21 (12), p.1925-1935
Main Authors: Bowyer, Peter, Woolf, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Gas exchange
Gases
Marine
Pressure measurement
Supersaturation
Temperature
Wind
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Summary:Gas exchange and bubble-induced supersaturation were measured in a wind-wave tank using total gas saturation meters. The water in the tank was subjected to bubbling using a large number of frits at a depth of 0.6 m. A simple linear model of bubble-mediated gas exchange implies that this should force an equilibrium supersaturation of 3%. This is confirmed by experiment, but a small additional steady-state supersaturation is also forced by warming. The total steady-state supersaturation is approached asymptotically. When the bubblers were switched off, the total gas pressure approached a new steady state at much lower supersaturation, at a rate that depended on the state of the wind and waves in the tank. The rates of approach on the various equilibria enabled the gas flux across the surface of the bubbles or across the air–water interface to be calculated. In addition a series of experiments was conducted where the water was subjected to bubbling in the presence of wind or wind and paddle waves: in this case gas invasion from the bubbles was balanced by gas evasion near or at the surface resulting in an equilibrium at
ISSN:0739-0572
1520-0426
DOI:10.1175/JTECH-1666.1