Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly

Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 1 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 2 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 3 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 4 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 5 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 6 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 7 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 8 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 9 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 10 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 11 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 12 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 13 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 14 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 15 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 16 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 17 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 18 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 19 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 20 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 21 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 22 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 23 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 24 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 25 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 26 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 27 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 28 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 29 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 30 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 31 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 32 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 33 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 34 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 35 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 36 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 37 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 38 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 39 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 40 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 41 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 42 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 43 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 44 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 45 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 46 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 47 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 48 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 49 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 50 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 51 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 52 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 53 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 54 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 55 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 56 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 57 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 58 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 59 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 60 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 61 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 62 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 63 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 64 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 65 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 66 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 67 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 68 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 69 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 70 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 71 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 72 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 73 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 74 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 75 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 76 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 77 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 78 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 79 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 80 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 81 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 82 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 83 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 84 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 85 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 86 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 87 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 88 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 89 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 90 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 91 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 92 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 93 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 94 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 95 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 96 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 97 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 98 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 99 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 100 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 101 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 102 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 103 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 104 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 105 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 106 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 107 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 108 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 109 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 110 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 111 Global Map Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Image 112
Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly
Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Scale

Sea surface temperature is the temperature of the top millimeter of the ocean's surface. An anomaly is a departure from average conditions. These maps compare temperatures in a given month to the long-term average temperature of that month from 1985 through 1997. Blue shows temperatures that were cooler than average, white shows near-average temperatures, and red shows where temperatures were warmer than average. The maps are made from data collected by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E) compared to historical data collected by a series of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites.

Some sea surface temperature anomalies are simply transient events, not part of a specific pattern or trend. Other anomalies are more meaningful. At irregular intervals (roughly every 3-6 years), the sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean along the equator become warmer or cooler than normal. These anomalies are the hallmark of El Niño and La Niña climate cycles, which can influence weather patterns across the globe. This time series shows the building and subsiding of a La Niña event from early 2007 through mid-2008.

Strong, localized sea surface temperature anomalies may reveal that an ocean current, such as the Gulf Stream Current off the east coast of the United States, has veered off its usual path for a time or is stronger or weaker than usual. Sea surface temperature anomalies that persist over many years can be signals of regional or global climate change, such as global warming. For example, the Arctic Ocean is shaded red throughout the entire time series of the animation. The warm anomaly appears to intensify in the Northern Hemisphere summer. This pattern results from the fact that sea ice is retreating to a smaller area in the summer now than in the past; areas that used to be covered with ice all summer are now open water.

Sea surface temperature anomalies have practical as well as scientific applications. For example, in coastal areas, anomalous temperatures (either warm or cool) can favor one organism in an ecosystem over another, causing populations of one kind of bacteria, algae, or fish to thrive or decline. Warm sea surface temperature anomalies can also warn natural resource managers where coral reefs may be in danger of bleaching.

View, download, or analyze more of these data from NASA Earth Observations (NEO):
Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly