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Earth and Space Sciences · Glossary

What is Poleward heat transport?

Definition 3.15 High School Earth and Space Sciences · Chapter 3 — The Earth’s Energy Budget

The poleward heat transport is the flow of energy carried from the tropics towards the poles by the motions of the atmosphere and of the ocean. It is measured, across a circle of latitude, in petawatts (1 PW1\,\mathrm{PW} = 1015 W10^{15}\,\mathrm{W}).

Between about 35 S and 35 N the Earth absorbs more energy than it radiates; poleward of these latitudes it radiates more than it absorbs. The atmosphere (orange) and the ocean (green) carry the surplus towards the poles. Schematic: the widths of the arrows are not to scale.
Between about 35∘35{}^{\circ} S and 35∘35{}^{\circ} N the Earth absorbs more energy than it radiates; poleward of these latitudes it radiates more than it absorbs. The atmosphere (orange) and the ocean (green) carry the surplus towards the poles. Schematic: the widths of the arrows are not to scale.
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