Engel, Anja (2026): Experimental data on the impact of wind speed on SML biopolymer enrichment, surface roughness, and interfacial surfactant coverage at the Heidelberg 'Aeolotron,' [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.992654

This study was part of the larger 'Aeolotron' experiment, conducted in November 2014 to investigate various air-sea exchange processes under controlled wind conditions. The Aeolotron is an annular wind wave tank in Heidelberg, Germany, with a diameter of approximately 10 m, a water depth of 1 m with, a 1.4 m air space above the water, and a total surface area of 18.4 m2.

We present data on:

1. The relationship between wind speed (U10) and the apparent thickness of the SML (d) as assessed by glass-plate sampling during the Aeolotron experiment.

2. Mean Square Slopes (MSS, dimensionless) relative to wind speed (U10, m s-1) during experiments with natural seawater over 24 days and a comparisson to pure freshwater. Fresh water data are adopted from: Kunz, J. (2027 ). Active Thermography as a Tool for the Estimation of Air-Water Transfer Velocities. Dissertation. Universität Heidelberg. DOI: 10.11588/heidok.00022903

3. Organic matter components in the SML and ULW at different wind speeds (U10), and associated MSS values.

4. Surfactant surface coverage sc and normalized reduced bulk SML surfactant concentration c*/cmax (bars) and wind speed. No surfactant data were obtained at high wind on day 2.

5. Enrichment Factors (EFs) of individual amino acids (EFAAi) and total hydrolysable amino acids (EFTHAA)

6. EFs between individual sugars (EFCHOi) and total combined carbohydrates (EFTCHO).