Seasonal Climatology of Surface Energy Fluxes on the Great Lakes

摘要

We estimate the seasonal cycle of latent, sensible, and net heat flux from the211u001esurface of the Great Lakes, using lake surface temperatures derived from the 211u001eNOAA/AVHRR satellite instrument, along with meteorological data from surface 211u001estation observations. Several well-known features are evident. Among these are 211u001every high outgoing fluxes of latent and sensible heat during the late fall and 211u001eearly winter, which drive strong cooling of the lakes, and greater seasonal 211u001evariation of surface temperature and fluxes in shallower waters. Due to strong 211u001estatic stability of the overlying atmospheric boundary layer during the spring, 211u001eboth the magnitude and the spatial variation of latent and sensible heat flux are 211u001esmall during the spring season, and to a lesser degree the summer. The annual 211u001ecycles of latent and sensible heat flux over the Great Lakes are opposite in 211u001ephase to the same fluxes over land, indicating a large exchange of energy via 211u001eatmospheric advection between the lake and land surfaces.