Air-Sea Interaction
The Atmosphere and the Ocean form a coupled system, exchanging heat, momentum and water
at the air-sea interface. On the long term, the convergence/divergence of oceanic heat
transport provide source/sinks of heat for the atmosphere and partly shape the mean
climate of the Earth. Understanding and analyzing to which extent the Atmosphere and the
Ocean actually 'feel' each other is the subject of large scale air - sea interactions.
Air-sea interaction is studied in PAOC using observations, theory and numerical models.
Although less widely appreciated by the public than El Nino and the Southern
Oscillation, Atlantic air-sea interactions are currently the subject of intense research,
to which PAOC contributes significantly. Two strong climatic signals exist in the
atmosphere over the Atlantic sector:
