The thermal inertia of the sea surface

Abstract

from the Introduction ". . .In this paper, I develop indices of the stability of sea surface temperature to heat loss, that are independent of atmospheric conditions. An examination of the variations of these indices with time and space will help us elucidate mechanisms that modify ocean - atmosphere interaction. The problem is complicated because the interactions between the two realms are nonlinear. On the average, the ocean absorbs solar radiation and warms the bottom of the atmosphere. Changing the sign of the temperature difference ocean minus atmosphere from plus to minus, decreases the absolute magnitude of components of heat flux by an order of magnitude. . ."