Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean Interactions

• Main Authors: Copyright David, David A. Randall
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2000
• Subjects: Sea ice
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.36.8355; http://kiwi.atmos.colostate.edu/group/dave/at605pdf/AT605_Ch_9.pdf

he oceans that most directly affects the atmosphere is the sea surface temperature, which affects the upward longwave radiation, the sensible heat flux, and the latent heat flux. The roughness of the sea surface can also affect the efficiency of near-surface turbulent exchange. The albedo of the ocean is determined in part by the turbidity of the near-surface water, and of course by sea ice, where present. Sea ice also affects the sensible and latent heat fluxes, by presenting to the air a surface which can be much colder than the sea water below; and it can affect the atmospheric turbulence through its roughness and the presence of leads and other breaks in the ice. Many properties of the atmospheric column can affect the ocean. These include the near-surface temperature, which influences sensible heat exchange and downward long wave radiation; the near-surface humidity which influences latent heat exchange and downward longwave radiation;, and cloudiness, which can affect the surface