NET AIR-SEA FLUX ESTIMATES FOR THE TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL ATLANTIC OCEAN BASED ON SATELLITE DATA

摘要

The objective of our work is to estimate the net heat exchange across the air-sea interface in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean using mainly satellite data. The net flux and the various terms will be used to study the processes in the upper ocean related to changes in sea surface temperature (SST). This variable influences atmospheric circulations and is indicative of upper ocean circulations in this area. We employ data from METEOSAT-7 and 8 and from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) for the shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes and for estimates of SST. For turbulent flux calculations, we use the bulk aerodynamic method with satellite estimates for wind speed and atmospheric humidity and temperature. We expect our work to shed light on rainfall regimes in Africa and South America and on the changes and slope of the tropical thermocline structure in the Atlantic Ocean.