Recent Oceanic Meridional Flux Estimates and Their Relationship with Temperature Gradients

Reginald E. Newell Department of Earth. Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Jane Hsiung Department of Earth. Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Abstract

Recent estimates of oceanic meridional energy flux are compared with previous work and shown to he somewhat smaller and have a different annual cycle. When combined with temperature gradient data they show a down-gradient flux in the Pacific and Indian oceans between the hemispheres and possibly a similar flux at 1 5°N. Elsewhere there is no significant association between these quantities and therefore parameterization of the oceanic flux by the temperature gradient is not appropriate.

Abstract

Recent estimates of oceanic meridional energy flux are compared with previous work and shown to he somewhat smaller and have a different annual cycle. When combined with temperature gradient data they show a down-gradient flux in the Pacific and Indian oceans between the hemispheres and possibly a similar flux at 1 5°N. Elsewhere there is no significant association between these quantities and therefore parameterization of the oceanic flux by the temperature gradient is not appropriate.

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