The momentum exchange within the atmospheric boundary layer is predominantly governed by turbulence, while the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy, \(\epsilon \) , emerges as a pivotal parameter for computational models. Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the estimates of this parameter requires rigorous experimental validation. This challenge is further exacerbated in the offshore environment due to the interactions between the sea surface and the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) in terms of wave modulation and effects associated with atmospheric stability. In this study, we use measurements collected with a scanning Doppler LiDAR for a site located on the coast of Texas, USA, to quantify the variability of \(\epsilon \) with atmospheric stability, wind speed, and wave conditions. The results indicate that colder offshore winds blowing over warmer seawater associated with unstable atmospheric conditions lead to higher \(\epsilon \) compared to milder onshore winds associated with stable atmospheric conditions. Empirical models are proposed to predict the variability of \(\epsilon \) with the cube of wind speed and wave age. Moreover, higher values of \(\epsilon \) are observed for developing waves occurring predominantly for offshore wind conditions. The present findings contribute to advancing our understanding of turbulence dynamics in complex MABL environments.
