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Relative role of atmosphere and ocean in the global heat budget: Tropical atlantic and eastern Pacific
Author(s) -
Hastenrath Stefan
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49710343712
Subject(s) - atmosphere (unit) , equator , climatology , environmental science , oceanography , tropical atlantic , geology , atmospheric sciences , sea surface temperature , geography , latitude , meteorology , geodesy
Calculations of the oceanic heat budget for the tropical Atlantic and eastern Pacific, in conjunction with satellite measurements of net radiation at the top of the atmosphere, permit a partitioning of heat export performed by the oceanic water body v. the atmospheric column. For individual Marsden squares, the divergence of heat transport within the oceanic water body ranges from +82% (export) to −120% (import) of the net radiative input to the system at the top of the atmosphere. Oceanic heat export is particularly conspicuous in the realm of the cold currents off the west coasts and in the cold water tongue immediately to the south of the equator.