Ocean temperatures and sea level

List of contents

Open Climate4you homepage

 

 

Recent sea surface temperature 

Sea surface temperatures 8 March 2010 (degrees C). White areas represents land areas. Map source: NCEP. Technical notes on the production of the map are available here. Please use this link if you want to see the original figure or want to check for a more recent update than shown above.

Sea surface temperature anomalies 8 March 2010 (degrees C). This map shows the current anomaly (deviation from normal) of the surface temperature of Earth's oceans. White represents land areas. White shows the extent of sea ice. Map source: NCEP. Technical notes on the production of the map are available here. Please use this link if you want to see the original figure or want to check for a more recent update than shown above.

 

Arctic sea surface temperatures 8 March 2010 (degrees C). White areas represents land areas. Map source: NCEP. Technical notes on the production of the map are available here. Please use this link if you want to see the original figure or want to check for a more recent update than shown above.

Arctic sea surface temperature anomalies 8 March 2010 (degrees C). This map shows the current anomaly (deviation from normal) of the sea surface temperature within the region shown. White areas represents land areas. Map source: NCEP. Technical notes on the production of the map are available here. Please use this link if you want to see the original figure or want to check for a more recent update than shown above.

 

Click here to jump back to list of contents.

 

 

Sea surface temperatures

Global monthly average lower troposphere temperature above oceans since 1979, according to University of Alabama at Huntsville, USA. This graph uses data obtained by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) TIROS-N satellite, interpreted by Dr. Roy Spencer and Dr. John Christy, both at Global Hydrology and Climate Center, University of Alabama at Huntsville, USA. The thick line is the simple running 37 month average, nearly corresponding to a running 3 yr average. The cooling and warming periods directly influenced by the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption and the 1998 El Niņo, respectively, are clearly visible. Please note that the temperature scale is slightly different from the scale used in the two diagrams below. Last month shown: February 2010. Last diagram update: 9 March 2010.  

  • Click here to download the entire series of UAH MSU global monthly lower troposphere temperatures since December 1978.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

Global monthly average sea surface temperature (SST) since 1979 according to University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU), UK. The data series (HadSST2) are described by Ranier et al. (2006). Base period: 1961-1990. The thick line is the simple running 37 month average, nearly corresponding to a running 3 yr average. The cooling and warming periods directly influenced by the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption and the 1998 El Niņo, respectively, are clearly visible. When comparing with air temperature estimates shown above, please note that the temperature scale is slightly different. Last month shown: January 2010. Last diagram update 20 February 2010.

  • Click here to download the entire HadSST2 temperature series since 1850.

  • Click here to read a description of the data file format.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

 

Global monthly average sea surface temperature (SST) since 1979 according to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), USA. Base period: 1901-2000. The thick line is the simple running 37 month average, nearly corresponding to a running 3 yr average. The cooling and warming periods directly influenced by the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption and the 1998 El Niņo, respectively, are clearly visible. When comparing with air temperature estimates shown above, please note that the temperature scale is slightly different. Last month shown: January 2010. Last diagram update 16 February 2010.

  • Click here to download the entire NCDC SST temperature series since 1880.

  • Click here to read a description of the data types used for producing the NCDC SST data series.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

 

Coverage map for sea surface temperatures shown in the four diagrams below.

 

 

Global monthly sea surface temperature (SST) in the Tropics (10oN-10oS, 0-360o) since 1979 according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center (CPC). The geographical sampling area is shown in map above as 'Tropics'. Base period: 1971-2000. The thick line is the simple running 37 month average, nearly corresponding to a running 3 yr average. The warming period directly influenced by the 1998 El Niņo is clearly visible. The data series goes back to January 1950. Here it is shown since 1979, to enable easy comparison with air the global temperature estimates shown above. IPCC = foundation of the International Panel on Climate Change (November 1988). Last month shown: January 2010. Last diagram update: 12 February 2010.  

  • Click here to download the entire series of NOAA CPC monthly sea surface temperatures since January 1950.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

Global monthly sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic (5o-20oN, 30-60oW) since 1979 according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center. The geographical sampling area is shown in map above as 'N.Atl'. Base period: 1971-2000. The thick line is the simple running 37 month average, nearly corresponding to a running 3 yr average. The data series goes back to January 1950. Here it is shown since 1979, to enable easy comparison with air the global temperature estimates shown above. IPCC = foundation of the International Panel on Climate Change (November 1988). Last month shown: January 2010. Last diagram update: 12 February 2010.    

  • Click here to download the entire series of NOAA CPC monthly sea surface temperatures since January 1950.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

 

Global monthly sea surface temperature (SST) in the South Atlantic (0-20oS, 30oW-10oE) since 1979 according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center. The geographical sampling area is shown in map above as 'S.Atl'. Base period: 1971-2000. The thick line is the simple running 37 month average, nearly corresponding to a running 3 yr average. The data series goes back to January 1950. Here it is shown since 1979, to enable easy comparison with air the global temperature estimates shown above. IPCC = foundation of the International Panel on Climate Change (November 1988). Last month shown: January 2010. Last diagram update: 12 February 2010.  

  • Click here to download the entire series of NOAA CPC monthly sea surface temperatures since January 1950.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

 

Global monthly sea surface temperature (SST) in the Niņo 3.4 region (5oN-5oS, 17oW-120oW) of the central Pacific Ocean since 1979 according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center. The geographical sampling area is shown in map above as 'Niņo 3.4'. Base period: 1971-2000. The thick line is the simple running 37 month average, nearly corresponding to a running 3 yr average. The data series goes back to January 1950. Here it is shown since 1979, to enable easy comparison with air the global temperature estimates shown above. Last month shown: January 2010. Last diagram update: 12 February 2010.  

  • Click here to download the entire series of NOAA CPC monthly sea surface temperatures since January 1950.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

Click here to jump back to list of contents.

 

 

Tropical sea surface temperature and global surface air temperature

Global monthly sea surface temperature (red) in the Tropics (10oN-10oS, 0-360o) since January 1950 according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center (CPC). The geographical sampling area is shown in map above as 'Tropics'. Global monthly average surface air temperature (blue) since January 1950 according to Hadley CRUT, a cooperative effort between the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research and the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU), UK. Base period for the NOAA series is 1971-2000, while the HadCRUT3 series uses 1961-1990 as base period. Last month shown: January 2010 (HadCRUT3) and January 2010 (NOAA). Last figure update 2 March 2010.  

 

The relation the global surface air temperature (HadCRUT3) and the tropical sea surface temperature (NOAA) shown in the diagram above is interesting. The offset between the two data series is due to the different base periods adopted, but in general the two data series tend to follow each other, without the general offset growing or decreasing since 1950.

Typically, 1-5 yr variations in the sea surface temperature have a larger amplitude than the corresponding variations in global surface air temperature. In addition, quite often a change in sea surface temperature appears to be initiated 1-3 months before the corresponding change in surface air temperature. In such cases, the temperature in the lower atmosphere appears to be controlled by change in sea surface temperatures, and not the other way around. Oceanographic processes such as, e.g., upwelling of warm or cold water masses might one explanation. Another explanation might be variations in the amount of direct short wave solar radiation reaching the ocean surface. Whatever the control, the above diagram suggests that the tropical oceans are important for understanding global surface air temperature changes.

The apparent significance of the tropical oceans between 10oN and 10oS for the global surface air temperature is not entirely surprising. About 80% of the planet surface is covered by oceans between 10oN and 10oS, so the surface area covered by oceans is huge in this sector of the planet. Presumably the explanation for the significance of these tropical oceans is therefore relatively straight foreward: The huge ocean surface in the Tropics is nearly perpendicular to the incoming direct solar radiation at daytime. Little of the direct short wave radiation reaching the ocean is therefore reflected, and the amount of absorbed solar radiation is essentially controlled by the tropical cloud cover. Variations in the tropical cloud cover may therefore be expected to represent an important control on the global surface air temperature, along with oceanographic phenomena (upwelling, etc.) within the tropical regions. 

Click here to jump back to list of contents.

 

 

Average sea temperatures in the upper 300 m at Equator in the Pacific

Location map showing the central Pacific Ocean with location of measurement areas shown in the three diagrams below.

 

Monthly average temperatures in the uppermost 300 m of the Pacific Ocean between 130oE and 80oW according to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center.  For geographical location of transect please see map above. The thin line indicate monthly values, and the thick line is the simple running 7 year average. Last month shown: December 2009. Last diagram update: 15 January 2010.  

  • Click here to download the entire series of monthly average temperatures since February 1979.

  • Click here for additional information.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

Monthly average temperatures in the uppermost 300 m of the Pacific Ocean between 160oE and 80oW according to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center.  For geographical location of transect please see map above. The thin line indicate monthly values, and the thick line is the simple running 7 year average. Last month shown: December 2009. Last diagram update: 15 January 2010.    

  • Click here to download the entire series of monthly average temperatures since February 1979.

  • Click here for additional information.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

Monthly average temperatures in the uppermost 300 m of the Pacific Ocean between 160oW and 80oW according to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center.  For geographical location of transect please see map above. The thin line indicate monthly values, and the thick line is the simple running 7 year average. Last month shown: December 2009. Last diagram update: 15 January 2010.   

  • Click here to download the entire series of monthly average temperatures since February 1979.

  • Click here for additional information.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

Click here to jump back to list of contents.

 

 

 

PDO - Pacific Decadal Oscillation

Typical wintertime Sea Surface Temperature (colors),Sea Level Pressure (black lines) and surface windstress (arrows) anomaly patterns during warm and cool phases of PDO. Figure source: Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO), a Cooperative Institute between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Washington.

 

Annual values of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) according to the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO), a Cooperative Institute between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Washington. The PDO is a long-lived El Niņo-like pattern of Pacific climate variability, and the data series goes back to January 1900. Causes for PDO are not currently known, but even in the absence of a theoretical understanding, PDO climate information improves season-to-season and year-to-year climate forecasts for North America because of its strong tendency for multi-season and multi-year persistence. The PDO also appears to be roughly in phase with global temperature changes. Thus, from a societal impacts perspective, recognition of PDO is important because it shows that "normal" climate conditions can vary over time periods comparable to the length of a human's lifetime. Base period: 1982-2002. The thin line indicate annual PDO values, and the thick line is the simple running 7 year average. Last year shown: 2009. Last diagram update 15 January 2010.

  • Click here to download the entire series of monthly PDO index values since January 1900.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

 

Monthly values of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) according to the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO), a Cooperative Institute between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Washington. The PDO is a long-lived El Niņo-like pattern of Pacific climate variability, and the data series goes back to January 1900. Base period: 1982-2002. The thin line indicate monthly PDO values, and the thick line is the simple running 37 month average. Here the PDO data are shown since 1979, to enable easy comparison with air the global temperature estimates shown elsewhere. Last month shown: December 2009. Last diagram update: 15 January 2010.  

  • Click here to download the entire series of monthly PDO index values since January 1900.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

Click here to jump back to list of contents.

 

La Niņa and El Niņo episodes

 

Warm (>+0.5oC; red stippled line) and cold (<0.5oC; blue stippled line) episodes for the Oceanic Niņo Index (ONI), defined as 3 month running mean of ERSST.v3b SST anomalies in the Niņo 3.4 region (5oN-5oS, 120o-170oW)]. Base period: 1971-2000. For historical purposes cold and warm episodes are defined when the threshold is met for a minimum of 5 consecutive over-lapping seasons. The thin line indicate 3 month average values, and the thick line is the simple running 7 year average of these. Last 3 month running mean shown: November-December-January 2009-10. Last diagram update 12 February 2010.

  • Click here to download the entire series of the Oceanic Niņo Index (ONI) since December 1949 - February 1950.

  • Click here to read about data smoothing.

 

Click here to jump back to list of contents.

 

 

Global sea level

Global sea level since late 1992 according to the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research at University of Colorado at Boulder. The data have been prepared by Dr. R. Steven Nerem (nerem@colorado.edu) and Dr. Eric W. Leuliette (leuliett@colorado.edu), and are described by Leuliette et al. (2004). The thick line is the simple running 37 observation average, nearly corresponding to a running 3 yr average. The data shown above include the seasonal signal, and have been prepared using the inverted barometer technique (Inverted Barometer = -9.948 * (1013.3 - global average pressure). The inverted barometer does not have much apparent effect on the global mean sea level because the ocean as a whole is not compressible. Data from the TOPEX/Poseidon mission have been used before 2002, and data from the Jason-1 mission (satellite launched December 2001) after 2002. Time is shown along the x-axis as fractions of calendar years. Last diagram update: 12 February 2010.

 

Annual change of global sea level since late 1992 according to the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research at University of Colorado at Boulder. The data have been prepared by Dr. R. Steven Nerem (nerem@colorado.edu) and Dr. Eric W. Leuliette (leuliett@colorado.edu), and are described by Leuliette et al. (2004). The annual global sea level change is calculated as the difference between the average global sea level the last 12 months and the previous 12 months. The thick line represents the simple running 3 year average. The data shown above include the seasonal signal, and have been prepared using the inverted barometer technique (Inverted Barometer = -9.948 * (1013.3 - global average pressure). The inverted barometer does not have much apparent effect on the global mean sea level because the ocean as a whole is not compressible. Data from the TOPEX/Poseidon mission have been used before 2002, and data from the Jason-1 mission (satellite launched December 2001) after 2002. Time is shown along the x-axis as fractions of calendar years. Last diagram update: 12 February 2010.

The 12-month global sea level change display significant variations over an aproximate 4 year period. These variations are superimposed on a general falling trend. Overall, since initiation of these satellite measurements, the 12-month sea level rise has decreased from about 4 mm/yr to about 3 mm/yr.

Click here to jump back to list of contents.