Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Map Information

This map is prepared by the Specialised Oceanographic Centre (SOC) of the Integrated Global Ocean Services System (IGOSS) which is operated jointly by the Bureau of Meteorology and the Royal Australian Navy. Maps such as these depend on information provided through national and international collaboration. IGOSS is a joint program of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO for the collection and exchange of ocean data and the timely preparation and distribution of products and services.

The climatology for the map is provided by the U.S. National Meteorological Centre. It is based on analyses over a 30-year period (1950-79) adjusted where possible using analyses from 1982-93.

Reference: Reynolds, R. W. and Smith, T. M (1995), A High Resolution Global Sea Surface Temperature Climatology, Journal of Climate, 8, 1571-1583

For the Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies map, the contours show intervals of one degree Celsius. Those areas shaded red are positive anomalies (i.e. warmer that average) while those shaded blue show negative anomalies (i.e. cooler than average).