Hurricane heat potential of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.

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Authors
Heffernan, Richard Francis.
Subjects
hurricane
typhoon
heat content
sea surface temperatures
air-sea interaction
hurricane heat potential
Advisors
Leipper, Dale F.
Date of Issue
1972-09
Date
September 1972
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
en_US
Abstract
Mean monthly ocean temperature data provided by Fleet Numerical Weather Central were used as a basis for computation of a quantity defined as hurricane heat potential. Warm, deep centers with heat potential values in excess of 32,000 cal/cm² existed east of the Philippine Islands during the months of July through November. In the Western Atlantic warm, deep centers in excess of 24,000 cal/cm² existed south of Cuba during the months of August through October. Correlation studies were made between sea surface temperature and heat potential. A weak correlation was found, leading to the conclusion that sea surface temperature at least at times is a poor indicator of oceanic heat content. Computations were made to determine the effect of average heat less during a severe tropical storm passage to the ocean thermal structure. Twenty-four hour average losses would cause the sea surface temperature to drop as much as three degrees celsius under certain initial conditions. The effects of heat loss on convective layer depth ranged from less than fifteen meters to over ninety meters.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Oceanography
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
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