Heat energy exchange across the sea surface of the Bering Sea and the northern North Pacific in summer: estimates from direct measurements of radiation fluxes

Abstract

Net heat flux across the sea surface in the Bering Sea and the northern North Pacific was estimated from observations during 21 days in the Bering Sea and 11 days in northern North Pacific during two summer cruises of the R.V. Hakuho Maru. Radiation fluxes were measured directly, and latent heat and sensible heat fluxes were calculated by an aerodynamic bulk method. There was little difference in the values of net flux between the two areas. The mean net radiation flux (0.22 ly min −) over the 32 days was in good agreement with other estimates in a region of the Bering Sea and at Station PAPA in the northern North Pacific. The mean values for latent heat flux (0.02 ly min −1) and sensible heat flux (0.00 ly min −1) were also identical with the estimates by Reed and in Budyko's Climatic Atlas. On the basis of these estimates and other data, the vertical thermal eddy diffusion coefficient at the top of the seasonal thermocline of the eastern Bering Sea was estimated to be between 0.12 and 3.1 cm 2s −1.