Ocean Science www.ocean-sci.net 1812-0784 1812-0792 5 3 2009 10.5194/os-5-351-2009 http://www.ocean-sci.net/5/351/2009/ http://www.ocean-sci.net/5/351/2009/os-5-351-2009.html http://www.ocean-sci.net/5/351/2009/os-5-351-2009.pdf 351 368 2009-09-18 Metrics of hurricane-ocean interaction: vertically-integrated or vertically-averaged ocean temperature? J. F. Price jprice@whoi.edu Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA The ocean thermal field is often represented in hurricane-ocean interaction by a metric termed upper Ocean Heat Content (OHC), the vertical integral of ocean temperature in excess of 26°C. High values of OHC have proven useful for identifying ocean regions that are especially favorable for hurricane intensification. Nevertheless, it is argued here that a more direct and robust metric of the ocean thermal field may be afforded by a vertical average of temperature. 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