Surface heat and freshwater fluxes from the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosp
here Data Set are revised and used diagnostically to compute air-sea t
ransformation rates on density, temperature; and salinity classes over
the domain of the data. Maximum rates occur over the warmest water an
d over mode waters, which are the dominant result of air-sea interacti
on. Transformation in different oceans is accordingly distinguished by
temperature and salinity, just as water masses in different oceans ar
e so distinguished. Over the entire domain, to about 30 degrees S, app
roximately 80 x 10(6) m(3) s(-1) of warm and cool water are transforme
d by air-sea fluxes, on annual average. Calculations for several seas
in the North Atlantic, where deep water is thought to originate, are a
lso presented.