Publication Abstracts

Smith et al. 1989

Smith, T.M., J.R. Miller, and G.L. Russell, 1989: Seasonal oceanic heat transports computed from an atmospheric model and ocean temperature climatology. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans, 14, 77-92, doi:10.1016/0377-0265(89)90006-7.

Seasonal estimates of the oceanic poleward heat transport are obtained using surface heat fluxes from a global atmospheric general circulation model on an 8°×10° grid and using rates of ocean heat storage to 1500 m calculated from the seasonal climatological ocean temperature data of Levitus. The rate of change of heat storage in the deep ocean (below 1500 m) is assumed to be spatially uniform. The global oceanic meridional transpirts for each latitude are calculated. The results are compared with those of Russell et al., in which seasonal ocean transports were calculated using the same method except that in that study the rate of change of heat storage was calculated using observed surface temperatures and mixed-layer depths. In the present study, the maximum meridional transports are about the same magnitude, but shifted to earlier in the year; the transports are near zero outside the band between 30°N and 30°S and no secondary maximum of northward transports occurs in the Southern Hemisphere in the first half of the year. The use of the Levitus seasonal temperature data to calculate heat storage to 1500 m did not reduce the amplitude of the annual rate of heat storage change in the deep ocean below the 11 W/m2 value obtained by Russell et al. The amplitude, however, was reduced by about half when the calculations were redone using the Levitus temperature data only down to 300. Sensitivity studies were carried out to assess the effects of errors in the Levitus temperature climatology on the ocean heat transports. The sparse data in the Southern Hemisphere caused larger errors in the Southern Hemisphere transports.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{sm04100j,
  author={Smith, T. M. and Miller, J. R. and Russell, G. L.},
  title={Seasonal oceanic heat transports computed from an atmospheric model and ocean temperature climatology},
  year={1989},
  journal={Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans},
  volume={14},
  pages={77--92},
  doi={10.1016/0377-0265(89)90006-7},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - sm04100j
AU  - Smith, T. M.
AU  - Miller, J. R.
AU  - Russell, G. L.
PY  - 1989
TI  - Seasonal oceanic heat transports computed from an atmospheric model and ocean temperature climatology
JA  - Dyn. Atmos. Oceans
JO  - Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans
VL  - 14
SP  - 77
EP  - 92
DO  - 10.1016/0377-0265(89)90006-7
ER  -

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