Fu, C., H. F. Diaz, and H. Fan, 1992: Variability in latent heat flux over the tropical Pacific in association with two recent ENSO events. Adv. in Atmos. Sci., 9, 351-358.


ABSTRACT

This paper analyzed the variations of latent heat flux (LHF) over the tropical Pacific during the period 1978-1988 by using COADS (Comprehensive Ocean and Atmospheric Data Set). It has been established that the interannual variability of LHF exhibited strong ENSO signals, with significant increasing LHF during the two recent warm events, i.e., 1982/83 and 1986/87 and decreasing LHF in the cold episodes. However the longitudinal distribution of the LHF departures varies from event to event. In the eastern Pacific, the specific humidity difference at air-sea interface (qs-qa) makes a dominant contribution to the interannual variability of LHF (r=0.73), while in the western Pacific the surface wind speed, W, and the qs-qa make nearly equal contributions to that of LHF.