The Unexpected Oceanic Peak in Energy Input to the Atmosphere and Its Consequences for Monsoon Rainfall

Monsoons have historically been understood to be caused by the low thermal inertia of land, allowing more energy from summer insolation transferred overlying atmosphere than over adjacent ocean. Here, we show that during boreal summer, global maximum net input (NEI) unexpectedly lies Indian Ocean, not land. Observed radiative fluxes suggest cloud-radiative effects (CRE) almost double NEI ocean, shifting peak land Global climate model experiments with both and interactive sea surface temperatures confirm CRE create oceanic maximum. Interactions between CRE, NEI, circulation, land-sea contrast in heat capacity shift precipitation Southeast South Asia. thus alter partitioning ocean spatial structure Earth's strongest monsoon, ways can through NEI.