Oort, A. H., 1971: The observed annual cycle in the meridional transport of atmospheric energy. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 28 (3), 325-339.
Abstract: The annual cycles in the atmospheric storage and in the meridional transport
of energy are discussed. The calculations are based on a five-year sample
from more than 500 radiosonde stations mainly located in the Northern Hemisphere.
All statistics represent values integrated vertically between the earth's
surface and 75 mb and horizontally along a latitude circle.
Several new and interesting features of the eddy and mean transports of
potential energy, sensible heat, latent heat and kinetic energy become apparent
by the breakdown according to calendar month.
In December through February more than half of the sensible heat is tranported
poleward by the standing eddies. The transient eddy heat flux does not peak
in winter but in April and November.
The strong annual cycle in the tropical Hadley circulation does not contribute
to the poleward transfer of energy for the year as a whole.