Science Source

Revisiting the trend of the tropical and subtropical Pacific surface latent heat flux during 1977–2006

Investigates the trend of ocean surface latent heat flux (LHF) over the tropical and subtropical Pacific (100°E–70°W, 35°S–35°N) during the period 1977–2006
Findings suggest that the ocean surface LHF presents a large-scale upward trend pattern, and the identified positive surface LHF trend is closely associated with both the sea surface temperature (SST) warming and the surface wind speed strengthening
Finds the SST increasing is the primary direct/local cause of the surface LHF trend, while the large-scale surface wind speed strengthening, ascribed to its contribution to the observed SST trend pattern, is an important indirect/nonlocal factor of the surface LHF trend.
Suggests that the coherent upward trends in surface LHF, surface wind speed, and SST should be in essence closely linked to the global warming forcing