An investigation of the heat budget of the Indian River lagoon, Florida, during winter months

Meteorological records and water temperature data from a 119-day period in the winter of1979-1980 are used to develop and verify a numerical model of local air-water heat energyexchanges in the Indian River lagoon, on the Atlantic coast of South Florida. In terms of dayto-day variability, the most important processes are latent heat exchanges, net incoming solarradiation and sensible heat exchanges - in that order. Cold fronts moving through the studyarea alternate warm, moist maritime tropical air with relatively cool, dry continental polar airbehind the front. As a result, the amount of heat stored in lagoonal waters is most highlycorrelated with the sensible and latent heat flux terms. Combining the individual heating andcooling processes, daily water temperatures can be simulated to a close approximation under avariety of meteorological conditions.