Atmospheric net transport of water vapor and latent heat across 60S

The mean annual moisture flux across 60øS is estimated using results of numerical analyses produced by the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction a d the European Centre for Medium-Range W ather Forecasts for the 7-year period 1985-1991. The atmospheric data indicate a net poleward transport of 17.06 kg m -1 s -1 or 10.74 Tt yr -1. The mean annual moisture transport divergence for the area poleward of 60øS is estimated using a combination f surface and near-surface data (precipitation and evaporation for the Southern Ocean, net surface accumulation and seaward drifting snow transport for the Antarctic e sheet). The mass exchange rates at the ice sheet-atmosphere and ocean-atmosphere interfaces are integrated strictly for the area between 60øS and 70øS and are combined with the results of a preceding surface data estimate of transport divergence for the area poleward of 70øS. The surface data are a combination of diverse sets representative of various multiyear periods distributed through 1941-1990 and indicate a poleward transport of 18.60 kg m -1 s -1 or 11.79 Tt yr -1 across 60øS. The estimates based on atmospheric and surface data show remarkable agreement ( he difference is well within the error estimates) and indicate net atmospheric transports ofwater vapor and latent heat poleward across