Global Sea Surface Temperature

Abstract

Two-thirds of Earth's surface is liquid water, the upper boundary of the global oceans. This vast surface is in constant interaction with the atmosphere. In these interactions, the sea surface temperature (SST) plays a central role. Knowing the distribution of SST is essential for numerical weather prediction (i.e., modern weather forecasting) and operational oceanography (such as forecasts for shipping and resource exploitation). Estimates of the large-scale changes in SST over the last 150years are a sufficient constraint to drive simulations of a large proportion of the climatic variability and change seen during the period, because SST has a pivotal role in the climate system. As well as being a contributing factor to air-sea interactions and the large-scale climate, SST is a signature of many processes of scientific and practical interest, including impacts on highly prized ecosystems such as fisheries and coral reefs. Satellite observations are crucial to taking the temperature of the oceans in the modern era, and the state of the art is reviewed.