Individual characteristics of whitecaps and volumetric description of bubbles

Measurements of whitecap coverages of the sea surface and air bubbles in the near-surface ocean are presented. Reported data of individual whitecaps are first analyzed; their individual characteristics are used along with global descriptions to determine the spatial density of whitecaps on the sea surface. The influence of water temperature is found to be rather significant in the production of bubbles, and therefore of whitecaps. Consequently, different distributions and coverages are proposed for bubbles and whitecaps in cold and warm waters. The vertical distribution of volumetric concentrations of spatially dispersed bubbles is obtained from that of numerical concentrations. Results of whitecaps and bubbles are compared to further explore physical processes of their productions by the wind.>