The Influence of Subsurface Energy Storage on Seasonal Temperature Variations

Abstract

A heat balance model is used to investigate the modification of the annual temperature cycle by seasonal energy storage in the ocean and land. The neglect of horizontal heat transport in the model precludes realistic predictions but permits analytic methods to be used to clarify the interaction between the atmosphere and the surface boundary layer. We find that at several latitudes both the magnitude of the annual variation and, to a lesser degree, the time lag between the solar heating and temperature response are significantly influenced by the subsurface heat storage. The results are compared to previous models in which either subsurface energy storage or the thermal transient time dependence was neglected. We conclude that such simplified modeling should be avoided, if possible, since the results can differ substantially from those of the more complete model presented here.