THE USE OF MEAN ATMOSPHERIC PARAMETERS IN THE CALCULATION OF MODELED MEAN SURFACE HEAT FLUXES OVER THE WORLDS OCEANS

Abstract

There are a number of atlases that display the distribution of ocean-atmosphere sensible and latent heat fluxes over various regions. Many are based on the "classical" method, in which time mean quantities are used in the bulk aerodynamic formulas, rather than the more accurate "sampling" method, which computes the mean of the instantaneous fluxes. Much of the justification for the use of this approximation comes from some studies conducted in the North Pacific and Atlantic oceans. How valid is it when applied globally? In this study we use large datasets, generated by January and July simulations of a general circulation model of the atmosphere, to examine comprehensively the differences be..