Wind wave relationship in non equilibrium sea states

Non-equilibrium wind-wave conditions exist where the surface wave field adjusts to sudden wind accelerations. Analyses of surface fluxes from wind burst events in non-equilibrium conditions in the equatorial western Pacific region are presented. The analyses establish a relationship between the momentum flux and the wind tendency in non-equilibrium sea states and suggest that current flux parameterizations fail to properly represent the flux in non-equilibrium states. Not accounting for this process may introduce significant errors in flux estimates and subsequently in large-scale model simulations. The analyses suggest that fluxes in non-equilibrium wind-wave conditions could be formulated and verified by synergistic use of models, in-situ measurements, and Altimeter & Scatterometer observations. A resulting parameterization would be based on the wind tendency and be suitable for large-scale models where it may provide an alternative to the use of a wave model.