Latent heating profiles over the tropical oceans

The importance of tropical latent heating in climate and the atmospheric circulation has long been recognized. Analysis of its spatial and temporal variability as well as vertical structure over the global oceans however has been problematic. New latent heating estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite measurements show double peak in the vertical structure of latent heating over the tropical oceans. In addition to the upper level heating associated with deep convective and stratiform clouds, a secondary maximum exists in the lower troposphere. The double peak exist in profiles calculated from global reanalysis products as well. The environmental factors that determine the vertical structure of latent heating, its variability and implications for atmospheric general circulation are discussed.