The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of global air–sea heat fluxes over the period from 1981 to 2005, using a combination of satellite remote sensing and atmospheric model reanalyses. The authors, Lisan Yu and Robert A. Weller, highlight the limitations of existing data sources, such as incomplete global coverage, short time series, systematic biases, and random errors, and propose an objective analysis (OA) approach to improve the accuracy of heat flux estimates. The OA technique, based on statistical interpolation and variational analysis, is applied to synthesize satellite retrievals and NWP outputs, resulting in enhanced estimates of latent and sensible heat fluxes. The study finds that the globally averaged latent heat flux (LHF) has increased by about 9 W m⁻² between 1981 and 2002, reflecting a 10% increase in mean value over the 25-year period. This increase is primarily driven by positive trends in sea–air humidity differences (Δq) and wind speed (U), with Δq being the key variable linking SST and LHF. The paper also discusses the implications of these findings for the hydrological cycle, greenhouse gas feedback, and ocean salinity. The authors conclude that the enhanced oceanic latent heat loss under global warming is a significant contribution to the observed trends, and they anticipate that the new flux product will enhance understanding of air–sea heat flux variability and their role in weather and climate.The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of global air–sea heat fluxes over the period from 1981 to 2005, using a combination of satellite remote sensing and atmospheric model reanalyses. The authors, Lisan Yu and Robert A. Weller, highlight the limitations of existing data sources, such as incomplete global coverage, short time series, systematic biases, and random errors, and propose an objective analysis (OA) approach to improve the accuracy of heat flux estimates. The OA technique, based on statistical interpolation and variational analysis, is applied to synthesize satellite retrievals and NWP outputs, resulting in enhanced estimates of latent and sensible heat fluxes. The study finds that the globally averaged latent heat flux (LHF) has increased by about 9 W m⁻² between 1981 and 2002, reflecting a 10% increase in mean value over the 25-year period. This increase is primarily driven by positive trends in sea–air humidity differences (Δq) and wind speed (U), with Δq being the key variable linking SST and LHF. The paper also discusses the implications of these findings for the hydrological cycle, greenhouse gas feedback, and ocean salinity. The authors conclude that the enhanced oceanic latent heat loss under global warming is a significant contribution to the observed trends, and they anticipate that the new flux product will enhance understanding of air–sea heat flux variability and their role in weather and climate.