Modulation of Bubble-Mediated Gas Transfer due to Wave-Current Interactions

Project Overview

This project investigated how interactions between surface waves and submesoscale ocean currents influence wave breaking, air–sea gas exchange, and upper-ocean dynamics. Using high-resolution numerical simulations and physics-based models of wave breaking and bubble-mediated CO₂ transfer, the study showed that submesoscale fronts and filaments can strongly modulate wave breaking and whitecap coverage, producing local variations in gas transfer rates of 50% or more. The results highlighted the importance of short-wave dynamics and wave–current interactions, processes that are largely absent from conventional wind-speed-based parameterizations of gas exchange. The project also explored feedbacks between waves and ocean circulation at submesoscales, demonstrating their potential role in shaping frontal dynamics, vertical mixing, and air–sea carbon fluxes.

Funding: NSF OCE-1924686,2121646 (PI: Leonel Romero)

Period: 8/1/2019 - 7/31/2023

Publications

• Zhou X., Reichl B. G., Romero L., and Deike L. (2023). A Sea State Dependent Gas Transfer Velocity for CO₂ Unifying Theory, Model, and Field Data. Earth and Space Science. DOI

• Hypolite D., Romero L., McWilliams J.C., and Dauhajre D.P. (2023). Langmuir circulations transfer kinetic energy from submesoscales and larger scales to dissipative scales. Journal of Physical Oceanography. DOI

• Shin Y., Deike L., and Romero L. (2022). Modulation of Bubble-‐Mediated CO₂ Gas Transfer Due To Wave‐Current Interactions. Geophysical Research Letters. DOI

• Romero L. and Lubana K. (2022). On the Bimodality of the Wind-Wave Spectrum: Mean Square Slopes and Azimuthal Overlap Integral. Journal of Physical Oceanography. DOI

• Romero L., Hypolite D., and McWilliams J.C. (2021). Representing wave effects on currents. Ocean Modelling. DOI

• Hypolite D., Romero L., McWilliams J.C., and Dauhajre D.P. (2021). Surface gravity wave effects on submesoscale currents in the open ocean. Journal of Physical Oceanography. DOI

• Romero L., Hypolite D., and McWilliams J.C. (2020). Submesoscale current effects on surface waves.Ocean Modelling. DOI

Software

• Romero L. (2022). Gas Transfer. Zenodo. DOI

• Hypolite D., Dauhajre D. P., Ho M., Romero L., and McWilliams J.C. (2026). UCLA-ROMS-NCWEC: The Regional Oceanic Modeling System with Non-Conservative Surface Gravity Wave Effects on Currents. Zenodo. DOI

Data Sets

• Romero L. (2022). Idealized wave data in support of Modulation of Bubble Mediated Gas Transfer due to Wave-Current Interactions. Zenodo. DOI

• Romero L. (2022). Level 2 Winter data in support of Modulation of Bubble Mediated Gas Transfer due to Wave-Current Interactions. Zenodo. DOI

• Romero L. (2022). Level 2 Spring data in support of Modulation of Bubble Mediated Gas Transfer due to Wave-Current Interactions. Zenodo. DOI

• Romero L. (2022). Level 3 data in support of Modulation of Bubble Mediated Gas Transfer due to Wave-Current Interactions. Zenodo. DOI

Invited Talks and Seminars

• Romero, L. (2026, June). Directional wave breaking kinematics from stereo visible and infrared field observations, Air-Sea Interaction Symposium, University of Rhode Island

• Romero, L. (2022, June). Modulation of Bubble-Mediated Gas Transfer due to Wave-Current Interactions, Waves and Flows Seminar, University of Oxford (virtual)

• Romero, L. (2021, August). Surface Wave Breaking Impacts on Spectral Bimodality and Mean-Squared-Slopes, Coastal Ocean Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Seminar, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (virtual)

• Romero, L. (2020, November). Surface wave breaking and related air-sea fluxes, Physical Oceanography Seminar, University of Rhode Island (virtual)

• Romero, L. (2020, October). Surface wave breaking and related air-sea fluxes, Ocean and Climate Physics Seminar, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University (virtual)

• Romero, L. (2020, August). Submesoscale Current Effects on Waves, Coastal Ocean Seminar Series, Coastal Marine Modeling Branch of the Coast Survey Development Lab (CSDL/CMMB), NOAA (virtual)

Conference Presentations

• Romero L., Shin Y., Deike L., Akaawase B., Hurt J., and Steadman J. (2023, May). Modulation of Bubble-Mediated CO₂ Gas Transfer Due To Wave-Current Interactions (poster). 29th WISE Meeting, Princeton, NJ

• Shin Y., Romero L., and Deike L. (2022, Feb.). Modulation of bubble-mediated CO₂ gas transfer due to wave-current interactions (talk). Ocean Sciences Meeting (virtual).

• Romero D., Hypolite D., and McWilliams J.C. (2020, Feb.). Submesoscale Current Effects on Waves (poster). U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability Program (CLIVAR) - Surface Currents in the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere System Workshop, La Jolla, CA

• Romero L. (2020, Feb.). Distribution of Surface Wave Breaking Fronts (talk). Ocean Sciences Meeting, San Diego, CA