On the heat budget of the Arabian Sea

The rate of oceanic heat storage of the upper 200 m of the Arabian Sea is explained in terms of net air-sea heat flux (Q(F)), heat change due to horizontal divergence and vertical motion (Q(V)) and heat change due to lateral advection (Q(A)). The analysis revealed that the heat storage of the Arabian Sea is mainly controlled by Q(V) while the effect of Q(A) is much larger than expected. Parameterisation of summer cooling revealed that the depletion of energy from the mixed layer is mainly due to upwelling and horizontal advection though large amount of heat is accumulated due to net air-sea heat flux. The annual heat balance of the upper 200m of the Arabian Sea suggested large heat gain by air-sea exchange processes. About two third of this heat gain is compensated by horizontal advection and one third by vertical advection.