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Estimating ocean-air heat fluxes during cold air outbreaks by satelliteNomograms of mean column heating due to surface sensible and latent heat fluxes were developed. Mean sensible heating of the cloud free region is related to the cloud free path (CFP, the distance from the shore to the first cloud formation) and the difference between land air and sea surface temperatures, theta sub 1 and theta sub 0, respectively. Mean latent heating is related to the CFP and the difference between land air and sea surface humidities q sub 1 and q sub 0 respectively. Results are also applicable to any path within the cloud free region. Corresponding heat fluxes may be obtained by multiplying the mean heating by the mean wind speed in the boundary layer. The sensible heating estimated by the present method is found to be in good agreement with that computed from the bulk transfer formula. The sensitivity of the solutions to the variations in the initial coastal soundings and large scale subsidence is also investigated. The results are not sensitive to divergence but are affected by the initial lapse rate of potential temperature; the greater the stability, the smaller the heating, other things being equal. Unless one knows the lapse rate at the shore, this requires another independent measurement. For this purpose the downwind slope of the square of the boundary layer height is used, the mean value of which is also directly proportional to the mean sensible heating. The height of the boundary layer should be measurable by future spaceborn lidar systems.
Document ID
19820011907
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Chou, S. H. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Atlas, D. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
September 4, 2013
Publication Date
November 1, 1981
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Report/Patent Number
NASA-TM-83854
Accession Number
82N19781
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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