| Summary: | In this paper we present an analysis of a unique data set over the desert area of Saudi Arabia during the northern summer months. The data set comes from the GARP Monsoon Experiment. The paper addresses the thermodynamic budget over the heat low. We examine the role of the horizontal and vertical advective processes, radiative processes, and the vertical eddy flux convergence in the maintenance of the tropical stratification. Satellite observations show that the desert area experiences a net loss of radiation to outer space, while the thermal stratification remains nearly invariant from one day to the next. This study shows that a crucial element in the maintenance of the stratification is the import of heat into this region in the tropical upper troposphere. This energy supply most likely comes from planetary scale divergent circulations.
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