Summer monsoonal heat balance for upper central equatorial Indian Ocean

Abstract

Using the data obtained at 3 h interval during summer monsoon days {25-31 July 1977), the time history of the surface heat balance parameters of the central equatorial Indian Ocean (2ᵒN to 2ᵒS; 76ᵒ to 80ᵒE) is examined on a shorter time scale. A general increase in the heat content of the upper 200 m water column at an average rate of about 900 W.m^-2 is mainly attributed to the oceanic interior (advection) processes. A simple heat budget model is adopted to compute the advection rates whose orders are found comparable with those of observed currents near the study area.