Transient evolution of Langmuir turbulence in ocean boundary layers driven by hurricane winds and waves

The temporally evolving spatially asymmetric wind and wave Stokes drift velocity imposed in the LES are generated by a spectral wave prediction model adapted to Hurricane Frances traveling at a speed of 5.5 m s(-1).

The potency of Langmuir turbulence depends on the turbulent Langmuir number, the wind-Stokes drift alignment, and the depth scale of the Stokes profile D-s relative to the OBL depth h. At the time of maximum winds, large-scale vigorous coherent cells develop on the right-hand side of the storm under the inertially rotating winds; the Stokes drift velocity is well tuned to the surface winds. Much weaker cells develop on the left-hand side of the storm, partly because of reduced Stokes production.