On Bouchet's complementary hypothesis

Morton's proof of Bouchet's complementary hypothesis has been revisited. Th e proof's central assumption is that an increase in sensible heat from the surface to the air induces a similar increment in the sensible heat transfe r from the air to a hypothetical potential evaporimeter. It is shown that t his assumption is not necessary in thr derivation. Instead, the complementa ry hypothesis under simplified conditions can be obtained with the help of the mass conservation equation for water vapor. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B .V. All rights reserved.