The Seasonal Heat Budget of the North Pacific: Net Heat Flux and Heat Storage Rates (1950–1990)

Abstract

Abstract A new estimate of the heat budget for the North Pacific Ocean is presented in this paper. The seasonal net heat flux and heat storage rates were calculated for the North Pacific Ocean from 1950 to 1990 on a spatial resolution of 5° × 5°. Temperature profiles from the National Ocean Data Center were used to calculate the heat storage rates. Satellite remotely sensed solar irradiance and ship marine weather reports from the Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Data Set were used to calculate the net surface heat flux. Heat storage rates were calculated as the time rate of change of the heat content integrated from the surface down to the isotherm that was 1°C less than the coldest locally observed wintertime sea surface temperature, which was defined as the locally observed wintertime ventilation isotherm. The monthly climatology of the 5° × 5° resolution net heat flux was balanced by the heat storage rate for most regions of the North Pacific. To achieve this balance the net heat flux was calculated usi...