Publication Date:
2017-04-28
Description:
Relationship among different quantities usually changes in the time, spatial, and spectral domains due to the complicated dynamics in the geosystem. In this study, we propose a general statistical modelling approach to address this problem and apply the approach to evaluating the continuous dependence of relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) and turbulent heat flux (T-Q relationship) on spatial scales. In the Kuroshio extension region, it is found that the turbulent heat flux (defined positive upward) anomalies are positively correlated to SST anomalies at scales ranging from ~150 km to ~4000 km. The T-Q relationship stays stable at mesoscales (〈1000 km) with a regression coefficient α of 26 W/(m 2 K). However, its value decreases rapidly as scales further increase. In addition, α exhibits a pronounced seasonal cycle with coherent phase at all the scales. The largest and smallest values occur in winter and summer, respectively.
Print ISSN:
0094-8276
Electronic ISSN:
1944-8007
Topics:
Geosciences
,
Physics
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