Edward Monahan

(Ph.D., MIT

D.Sc., National University of Ireland) Professor of Marine Sciences, emeritus

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My research activities continue to center on investigations of those physical processes involved in air-sea exchange, with particular focus on the various bubble-mediated air-sea exchange mechanisms. For example, my findings as to the whitecap dependence of the CO2 gas transfer coefficient have proved useful to global climate modelers in their current effort to estimate the present and past concentrations of this gas in the earth’s atmosphere. Our models for the generation of sea-salt aerosol on the ocean surface, parameterized in terms of oceanic whitecap coverage, are likewise used by climate modelers who must estimate the atmosphere’s aerosol loading for various projected global wind regimes.

A continued focus of my research is to obtain a better understanding of the evolution with time of the bubble plumes that form when waves break.

I have an ongoing interest in, and commitment to, the wise use and conservation of the earth’s environment, and of the various resources found therein. This commitment is reflected in my activities during my 20 years as Director of the Connecticut Sea Grant Program, and now, in retirement, by my activities as a Director of the Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority.

Oceanography Alumni

Mingzhi Lu – M.Sc. 1990

Publications

Jähne, B. and E.C. Monahan, eds. 1995. Air-Water Gas Transfer. Third Annual Symposium on Air-Water Gas Transfer. AEON Verlag, Hanau. 1-900.

Andreas, E.L., and E.C. Monahan. 2000. The role of whitecap bubbles in air-sea heat and moisture exchange. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 30: 433-442.

Monahan, E.C., and H.G. Dam. 2001. Bubbles: An estimate of their role in the global flux of carbon. Journal of Geophysical Research, 106: 9377-9383.

Monahan, E. C. 2001. Comments on Bubbles produced by breaking waves in fresh and salt water. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 31:1931-1932.

Monahan, E.C. 2002. The Physical and Practical Implications of a CO2 Gas Transfer Coefficient that Varies as the Cube of the Wind Speed, 193-197, Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces, M.A. Donelan et al, eds., AGU

Monahan, E.C. 2002. Environmental Problems?, Weather, 57, 112

Monahan, E.C. 2002. Oceanic Whitecaps:Sea surface features detectable via satellite that are indicators of the magnitude of the air-sea gas transfer coefficient, Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences(Earth & Planet.Sci.),111, 315-319

Vlahos, P., E.C. Monahan, and A Skoog. 2006. Chemical Transformations, EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 87 (36), Abs.OS15E-17