A model of the spume spray generation function (SGF) is suggested. Spume droplets are produced by the wind tearing off breaking crests of the equilibrium range wind waves. The injection occurs in the form of a jet which is pulverized into droplets that have a range of sizes with a distribution proportional to the radius to the power 2. Breaking of the equilibrium range wind waves takes place on crests of dominant wind waves, therefore spume droplets are injected into the air at the altitude of the dominant wave crest. A reasonable agreement with the empirical SGFs is found.
VN Kudryavtsev, VK Makin. Model of the spume sea spray generation
Status: published, Journal: Geophys. Res. Lett., Volume: 36, Year: 2009, doi: 10.1029/2008GL036871