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Characteristics of low-frequency oscillation intensity of air-sea turbulent heat fluxes over the northwest Pacific

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Abstract

Based on the daily turbulent heat fluxes and related meteorological variables datasets (1985–2006) from Objectively Analyzed air-sea Fluxes (OAFlux) Project of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), characteristics of low-frequency oscillation intensity of air-sea turbulent heat fluxes over the northwest Pacific are analyzed by linear perturbation method and correlation analysis. It can be concluded that: 1) the distribution of low-frequency oscillation intensity of latent heat flux (LHF) over the northwest Pacific is mainly affected by that of low-frequency oscillation intensity of anomalous air-sea humidity gradient (Δq′) as well as mean air-sea humidity gradient (\( \overline {\Delta q} \)), while the distribution of low-frequency oscillation intensity of sensible heat flux (SHF) is mainly affected by that of low-frequency oscillation intensity of anomalous air-sea temperature gradient (ΔT′). 2) The low-frequency oscillation of turbulent heat fluxes over the northwest Pacific is the strongest in winter and the weakest in summer. And the seasonal transition of low-frequency oscillation intensity of LHF is jointly influenced by those of low-frequency oscillation intensity of Δq′, low-frequency oscillation intensity of anomalous wind speed (U′), \( \overline {\Delta q} \) and mean wind speed (Ū), while the seasonal transition of low-frequency oscillation intensity of SHF is mainly influenced by those of low-frequency oscillation intensity of ΔT′ and Ū. 3) Over the tropical west Pacific and sea areas north of 20°N, the low-frequency oscillation of LHF (SHF) is mainly influenced by atmospheric variables q a ′ (T a ′) and U′, indicating an oceanic response to overlying atmospheric forcing. In contrast, over the tropical eastern and central Pacific south of 20°N, q s ′ (T s ′) also greatly influences the low-frequency oscillation of LHF (SHF).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Gen Li, BaoHua Ren, JianQiu Zheng & Jun Wang

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  1. Gen Li
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  2. BaoHua Ren
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  3. JianQiu Zheng
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  4. Jun Wang
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Correspondence to BaoHua Ren.

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Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40675028) and National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006CB403600)

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Li, G., Ren, B., Zheng, J. et al. Characteristics of low-frequency oscillation intensity of air-sea turbulent heat fluxes over the northwest Pacific. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 52, 1137–1151 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-009-0103-2

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