Reynolds and Smith 1994 Monthly AOI SST climatology
This climatology has been derived from monthly optimum interpolation
(OI) SST analyses with an adjusted base period of 1950-79. A complete
paper on the SST climatology has been prepared and sent to the Journal
of Climate. A copy of the paper can be found
here.
The climatology is here.
Abstract
In response to the development of a new higher resolution sea
surface temperature (SST) analysis at the National Meteorological
Center (NMC), a new monthly 1-degree global sea surface temperature
climatology was constructed from two intermediate climatologies: the
2-degree SST climatology presently used at NMC and a 1-degree SST
climatology derived from the new analysis. The 2-degree SST climatology
used a 30-year 1950-79 base period between roughly 40S and 60N based on
in situ (ship and buoy) SST data supplemented by 4 years (1982-85) of
satellite SST retrievals. The 1-degree SST climatology was based on
monthly analyses using in situ SST data, satellite SST retrievals, and
sea-ice coverage data over a 12-year period (1982-93). The final
climatology was combined from these two products so that a 1-degree
resolution was maintained and the base period was adjusted to the
1950-79 period wherever possible (approximately 40S and 60N). Compared
to the 2-degree climatology, the 1-degree climatology resolves
equatorial upwelling and fronts much better. This leads to a better
matching of the scales of the new analysis and climatology. In
addition, because the magnitudes of large-scale features are
consistently maintained in both the older 2-degree and the new 1-degree
climatologies, climate monitoring of large-scale anomalies will be
minimally affected by the analysis change. The use of 12 years of
satellite SST retrievals makes this new climatology useful for many
additional purposes because its effective resolution actually
approaches 1-degree everywhere over the global ocean and because the
mean SST values are more accurate south of 40S than climatologies
without these data.
The paper should be referenced as:
Reynolds, R. W. and T. M. Smith, 1994: A high resolution global sea
surface temperature climatology. J. Climate, (submitted).
Richard W. Reynolds (INTERNET: wd01rr@sgi11.wwb.noaa.gov)
Diane C. Stokes (INTERNET: wd01dm@sgi26.wwb.noaa.gov)
Coupled Model Project W/NMCx3
National Meteorological Center
World Weather Building, Room 807
5200 Auth Road
Camp Springs, MD 20746 USA
PHONE: (301) 763-8396