Energy Exchange Charts of the North Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

Charts of calculated energy exchange across the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean have been constructed. Wind and temperature observations obtained from 8 million ship weather reports were entered individually into the bulk aerodynamic equations with exchange coefficients that varied with wind speed and stability. The individual fluxes were averaged to obtain monthly and annual means of latent and sensible heat momentum. Net radiation fluxes were calculated using Budyko's (1963) formulas. Monthly and annual averages for 32 years have been formed for 500 subdivisions of the ocean. Averages for each month from 1941 through 1972 were computed for 66 10° squares to study the variations and anomalies of the fluxes. meteorological variables, and sea temperature. Charts giving annual averages of the net heat gain by the ocean, evaporation, sensible and radiational heat exchange, wind stress components, and meteorological variables are presented. A graph of the monthly variations for Marsden Square 116 and an anomaly chart for January 1958 show the variability of the fluxes and the largescale anomaly pattern.