1^3 

 an aimual basis in the northern tropical Atlantic. A maximum associated 

 with the trade-wind maximum of the winter hemisphere appears again. 



A marked decrease in the transport of sensible heat during Pebmary is 

 shown in Figure 20. This is not only due to the inclusion of diurnal effects 

 but also to the fact that fair weather is a mean condition over most of the 

 region during this month. 



Figures 21 and 22 show the mean annual distribution of Q^ and Qg for 

 the tropical Atlantic as calculated in this paper. In the case of latent 

 heat the most significant features remain the maximum in the equatorial 

 trough region associated with synoptic scale disturbances, and the higher 

 values shown over much of the southern tropical Atlantic. The integrated 

 effect still produces a maximum within the eastern and central equatorial 

 trough region. 



The inclusion of both the synoptic and diurnal effects on the transport 

 of sensible and latent heat produces pronounced variations in both the monthly 

 means and the annual distributions. The inclusion of the dra^ coefficient as 

 a function of both wind speed and stability results in an increase in the 

 transport of heat, particularly in the regions of high mean wind speeds. 

 Clearly, these effects will apply in all tropical ocean areas. In the central 

 and western Pacific, where the mean annual frequency of synoptic disturbances 

 is higher than in the Atlantic, the effect will be even more pronounced than 

 shown to be the case in the Atlantic. 



IV. CC5NCLUSI0FS 



The strong dependence of latent and sensible heat transport upon 

 sjmoptic scale disturbances implies that the role of the equatorial trough 

 region in the heat balance of the atmosphere may be even more important than 

 has heretofore been suspected. Not only do the disturbances in this region 

 perform the function of horizontal and vertical advection of vast quantities 

 of energy generated within the trade wind regitms, but a large increase in 

 energy transfer occurs within the region of the disturbance. Through the 

 condensation-precipitation cycle, the disturbance then provides a means of 

 ireleasing this energy. In the mean, the concentration, vertical and horizontal 

 transports of energy in this region prescribe one of the fundamental con- 

 straints on the heat balance of the atmosphere. 



While it is considered that the magnitudes of the transports derived in 

 the text may be more accurate than those previously published, it is important 

 to note that changes in the coefficients used would not change the direction 

 of the transport, the sense of the synoptic variations or the fact that 

 synoptic systems produce large amounts of latent and sensible heat at the 

 surface. Verification of the absolute magnitude is indeed desirable but there 

 seems little doubt that a region of maximum transport will occur just poleward 

 of the equatorial trough and that this region will have maximum values in 

 excess of those appearing on current maps (e.g., Budyko (1956)). These con- 

 clusions cast some doubt upon the relative magnitude of the various terms in 



