@article{fdi:010082984,
  title = {{H}eat and mass budgets of the warm upper layer of the tropical {A}tlantic {O}cean in 1979-99},
  author = {{V}auclair, {F}. and {P}enhoat du, {Y}ves and {R}everdin {G}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he mass and heat budgets of the warm upper-ocean layer are investigated in the equatorial {A}tlantic using in situ observations during the period 1979-99, which encompassed a series of warm events in the equatorial {A}tlantic. {T}he warm water layer is defined as the layer having an in situ temperature higher than 20°{C}, which is within the core of the equatorial thermocline. {T}he geostrophic transport is calculated by combining gridded temperatures with historical salinity data. {T}he {E}kman transport is estimated from observed wind data or model- based wind products. {T}he change in warm water volume is then compared with the horizontal mass convergence, and the residuals are determined. {T}he heat budget of the upper layer is investigated in the same way. {T}hree regions are considered: the equatorial band between 8°{N} and 8°{S} to study the meridional redistribution of the warm water and two boxes (western and eastern boxes) to investigate the zonal redistribution of the warm water. {M}ass and heat budget variability in the equatorial band is discussed in relation to the zonal wind variability. {T}he authors discovered that during the development of an equatorial warm event the meridional net divergence first decreases, reaching its minimum as the warm event matures. {M}eridional divergence increases again as conditions become normal in the equatorial band. {T}he vertical velocity through the 20°{C} isotherm also reveals variations consistent with this scenario. {C}ross-isotherm mass transport decreases during warm events. {T}he heat budget residual is more difficult to interpret. {T}he average value is consistent with heat loss through turbulent mixing at the base (20° isotherm), but the fluctuations are most likely noise, resulting mainly from the limited accuracy of the model surface heat fluxes used.},
  keywords = {{ATLANTIQUE} ; {GOLFE} {DE} {GUINEE} ; {PACIFIQUE} ; {BRESIL} {NORDESTE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {P}hysical {O}ceanography},
  volume = {34},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {903--919},
  ISSN = {0022-3670},
  year = {2004},
  DOI = {10.1175/1520-0485(2004)034<0903:{HAMBOT}>2.0.{CO};2},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010082984},
}