Sea-surface temperature

Abstract

Since the oceans cover over two thirds of the Earth's surface, sea-surface temperature (SST) is a critical measure of global temperature change. Natural patterns of interannual ocean-climate interactions such as the El Ni±o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) show the influence of SST variations on climate. Over longer periods the global SST has been warming since at least the nineteenth century, coincident with warming over land and changes in the Earth’s radiation balance caused by a buildup of greenhouse gases. There is evidence that one consequence of the longer-period warming may be a change in the intensity and frequency of natural SST variations, which will alter climate variations associated with those SST variations. Understanding how global warming may influence interannual SST variations is critical for improving climate prediction.