Infrared-Optical Techniques Applied to Oceanography I. Measurement of Total Heat Flow from the Sea Surface

The heat flow from the sea surface at night by evaporation and air conduction is from the interface. The radiation loss comes from the top 0.02 mm. Water temperature at greater optical depths was measured experimentally by infrared radiometry with wavelength regions selected for 1/k = 0.06 and 0.50 mm. Calculation of the heat flow by conduction through this half-millimeter layer is within experimental error of the total heat flow from the surface. This result indicates that the heat transfer by convection in this layer is small compared to conduction, and that such equipment, preferably airborne, can be used to measure the total heat flow from the sea at night.