The Interface or Air–Sea Flux Component of the TOGA Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment and Its Impact on Subsequent Air–Sea Interaction Studies

Abstract

The interface or air?sea flux component of the Coupled Ocean?Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) of the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere (TOGA) research program and its subsequent impact on studies of air?sea interaction are described. The field work specific to the interface component was planned to improve understanding of air?sea interaction in the Tropics by improving the methodology of flux measurements and by collecting a comprehensive set of observations with coverage of a broad range of time and space scales. The strategies adopted for COARE, particularly the on-site intercomparisons, postexperiment studies of instrument performance, and bulk flux algorithm development, ensured the compilation of very high quality data for the basic near-surface meteorological variables and air?sea fluxes. The success in meeting the goals of improved air?sea heat and freshwater fluxes was verified by closure of the ocean heat and freshwater budgets to within 10 W m?2 and 20%, respectively. These results confirm that accurate in situ observations of air?sea fluxes can be obtained during extensive measurement campaigns, and have established the foundation for current plans for global, long-term oceanic observations of surface meteorology and air?sea fluxes. At the same time, some uncertainties remained after COARE, which must be addressed in future studies of air?sea interaction.