Variation of Air-Sea Heat Fluxes over the Western Pacific Warm Pool Area and Its Relationship with the South China Sea Summer Monsoon Onset

Abstract

AbstractBased on oceanic and atmospheric parameters retrieved by satellite remote sensing using a neural network method, air-sea heat fluxes over the western Pacific warm pool area were calculated with the advanced the advanced Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment 3.0 (COARE3.0) bulk algorithm method. Then, the average annual and interannual characteristics of these fluxes were analyzed. The relationship between the fluxes and the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon onset is highlighted. The results indicate that these fluxes have clear temporal and spatial characteristics. The sensible heat flux is at its maximum in the Kuroshio area, while the latent heat flux is at its maximum in the North Equatorial Current and Kuroshio area. The distribution of average annual air-sea heat fluxes shows that both sensible and latent heat fluxes are maximized in winter and minimized in summer. The air-sea heat fluxes have obvious interannual variations. Correlation analysis indicates a close lag-correlation bet...