Abstract
The physical processes which control the transfer of gases between the atmosphere and oceans or lakes are poorly understood. Clouds of micro-bubbles have been detected below the surface of Loch Ness when the wind is strong enough to cause the waves to break. The rate of transfer of gas into solution from these bubbles is estimated to be significant if repeated on a global scale. We present here further evidence that the bubbles are caused by breaking waves, and discuss the relationship between the mean frequency of wave breaking at a fixed point and the average distance between breaking waves, as might be estimated from an aerial photograph.
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Thorpe, S., Humphries, P. Bubbles and breaking waves. Nature 283, 463–465 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/283463a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/283463a0
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