Digitized Global Monthly Mean Ocean Surface Temperatures

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1 NCAR-TN-54 Digitized Global Monthly Mean Ocean Surface Temperatures W. M. WASHINGTON L. G. THIEL December 1970 NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH Boulder, Colorado

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3 iii PREFACE Monthly means of the global sea surface temperature have been produced in the form of composite charts for use with the NCAR general circulation model. These monthly charts are for the northern and southern hemispheres and for the tropics. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors are grateful to Harry van Loon, James O'Brien, and Roy Jenne for their aid and suggestions in preparing these charts. The Computing Facility at NCAR provided programmers, the digitizer, and the computer time on the Control Data Corporation 6600 required to complete the project.

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5 v CONTENTS Preface iii Acknowledgments... iii Introduction Form of the Data... 3 Methods of Analysis... 4 Explanation of Figures... 5 Figures... 6 References

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7 1 INTRODUCT ION Climate simulation experiments using the NCAR general circulation model (GCM) require specification of the sun's declination and of the distribution of ocean surface temperatures. Because no ocean circulation model is yet available to couple with the NCAR atmospheric model, analysis of the global mean ocean temperatures for each month of the year was undertaken. These new analyses will enable atmospheric seasonal change experiments to be performed and the yearly cycle of the climate to be computed. This report presents the results of these analyses in the form of composite maps giving digitized global monthly mean ocean surface temperature data for each month of the year. Of the many sources of climatic mean ocean surface temperatures, most are for particular oceans. One of the most frequently used sources has been the charts of the World Atlas of Sea Surface Temperatures (1944); these charts have been superseded by more recent, sources for regional ocean areas. We incorporated the new sources into a complete monthly global data set and then digitized the data at intervals of 2.5 and 5 in latitude and longitude. The following sources of data for particular ocean areas were used: North and Tropical Pacific: Monthly Charts of Mean, Minimum, and Maximum Sea Surface Temperature of North Pacific Ocean (1969). Tropical Pacific: A time mean 1 of Monthly Mean Charts Sea Surface Temperature North Pacific Ocean (1968). Tropical Atlantic: Serial Atlas of the Marine Environment Folio 16, Mean Monthly Sea Surface Temperatures and Zonal Anomalies of the Tropical Atlantic (1968). 1 R. A. Madden, private communication, 1970.

8 2 Oceans around Australia: Sea Areas Round Australia Oceanographic and Meteorological Data, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute No.124, (1949). South Pacific Oceans: Marine Climatic Atlas of the WorZd, VoZ.V, South Pacific Ocean, U.S. Navy (1959). Indian Ocean: Indische Oceaan, Oceanografische en MeteoroZogische gegevens, Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut, No.135 (1952). Data for other ocean areas were taken from the charts of the WorZd Atlas of Sea Surface Temperatures (1944). A complete list of data sources appears in the references.

9 3 FORM OF THE DATA The data are available at 2.5 and 5 intervals of latitude and longitude. The 2.5 and 5" data card format is 20F4.1 with an implied decimal point (a number punched as 237 has a value of 23.7 C). The data are from an evenly spaced rectangular grid starting at W longitude and 87.5 S latitude for the 2.5 data, and at 85 S latitude for the 5 data. The cards are arranged by latitude lines from south to north with 144 points (8 cards) per line for the 2.5 data and 72 points (4 cards) per line for the 5 data. The data may be obtained from the authors at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

10 4 METHODS OF ANALYSIS When two or more sources of climatic data conflicted, greater emphasis was placed on the more recent source. Most of the charts were drawn with 1 C contours for mid and high latitudes; where possible, 0.5 C contours were used for tropical charts. An effort was made to preserve time continuity from month to month but this was not always possible, since many of the sources showed large changes from month to month, especially in the tropics. The placement of continental coastlines was dictated in part by the horizontal resolution of the 2.5 and 5 versions of the GCM. A description of the model is given by Oliger et al. (1970). The composite maps were analyzed and then digitized by a device which follows the contours on the charts. A computer program interpolated the contours to equal increments of latitude and longitude.

11 EXPLANATION OF FIGURES Figures 1 through 12 show the global monthly mean ocean surface temperatures beginning with January. Each figure consists of three maps designated a, b, and c: a. Northern hemisphere b. Southern hemisphere c. Tropical The contour interval is 2 C for the hemispheric maps and 1.0 C for the tropical maps. The data given are for 2.5 intersections of latitude and longitude.

12 JANUARY Northern Hemisphere SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE JANUARY Southern Hemisphere U..... / ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~,. ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ A.,, 8 i.~~~~~~~~~'~ \~~~~~~~~ \\\\\&;ej:~.~ f 24~~~~~~~~~~~~ X ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~12~~~. EO~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.. ~~~~~~~~~~.0 20~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4 i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"' ]-2 0,.~~~~~8;* Figure~~~~~~~~~ la 16' -~~~~~~~' 26 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ Figurel 6 Figure la Figure lb

13 JANUARY Tropical '24 28~ I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ : 26 L, i./ / /,. -~~~~~~~ '25 _24,`27/r26 'i~f~- 227 ;2 21 (C ^ - (p- 28 Figure,25,;/'4' i >.. 2 Figure 1c

14 FEBRUARY Northern Hemisphere SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE FEBRUARY Southern Hemisphere I/f I~~~~~~~~) -i~~~~ /i~~~~ / 00 : :812 / -'-4' t 45.:-5~~~~~ Figure~~~~~~ :: 2a 2~~0 - Fiur 44 2b :: 'Figure 2a Figure 2b

15 FEBRUARY Tropical 28 / 227'7 <'' " 26> 27.g. '.

16 MARCH Northern Hemisphere SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE MARCH Southern Hemisphere '.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a, i ` ~. :1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~51.\~~~~~~~~~~ ' ' 0 '!"1 4 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t B ;4. 22, f *i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~t;.,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~' ' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~2 24, ~,' /' EQ / Figure 3a Figure 3b

17 MARCH Tropical 1...!-...:.:. -. ''8' /< 'd ' 27? ' i t' :if(~~~j-~ ' ,f <F _= 3 c a2 2 6,/!.,,.1.:. -, s 3 e' :..-' '' '.F' Figure 3 c

18 SASRAETMEAUESEA APRIL Northern Hemisphere SEA SURFACE SURFCE TEMPERATURE APRIL Southern Hemisphere -' :'"'f---. 1, I~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~.6, : -'", ;~,!-" -- :2 Figure~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:"..... ', EQ O- 26. / I,8u >.... Fiur r a igr,e4

19 APRIL Tropical. 28 I^-;- -: d -- V - 27 ^'8 :- =,._ ;: ~27 327^^^ I - ;\--28- t»4^^^'" ' -- - Figure 4c Figure 4c

20 MAY Northern Hemisphere SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE MAY Southern Hemisphere ~~~~~J..II..../.. 10, r ~ 2, = I ts b-.' I.4 ~ / EO 2 61~ 8 20 Ol 2 6, ~-.. Figure 5aFi / ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 2 1 Figure 5a Figure 5b

21 MAY Tropical 1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ;' C 28~~2 '. '.,,,,t: _ == * * ~ ' l 9 ' igur2 21 %\9 ' t0 ' ~ ~ 4 ;" "i/,. ' "'. ' '" ~ ~~~ 29 :-._' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. 'EC.. :...~.~.' :. '...~ :- :: i... :.. t i/ 9~2 F52 ~.-i : -~- - :.:.'-.-,..~-:i'..z-"". 22"9 ;.:~:.~~~~ ~2... ~-~..~.::_i.~~'':2'6~ Figure 5c~ : ':.':

22 JUNE Northern Hemisphere SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE JUNE Southern Hemisphere o.. o -:.....,. '. 2. "\ r "'" I 0Fk i~~~~ ' "' ''i ~,,,2 ' P.~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -' / " 4.~~~~ 6.1 N,~~~~~~~~~~~~;, '" \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,-..' ' ~ :.~i s'''': i j. ~~~~~~':~~~~~~~~.~,' ~... '...,, 'C; O~~~~~~~~~~/.~,. ~~ too. "'" ' '6 tl..~~' ""< ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...,~, ''..:}..~ Figure 6aFiue6

23 J UNE Tropical j $, ' ~2 \\ 8 i 1 2 ' ~~~~ ' : ~. 2 k~ ,~~~ ~... 8.,.~ ~ ~ 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~2.. '' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i X.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~,.,24--. :..2 2,, -2 6 ~ :=f~~-~ ~ -L3(O~~~~~O.~ :.I~. --. j 29 28~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Figure 6c

24 SEA ~~~SURFACE JULY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~JULY ~~~~~Northern Hemisphere ~Southern Northern Hemisphere TEMPERATURE~~JULY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE Hemisphere /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~; 00"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0 r K~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~..' qoi ' (, 2 6~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.:... ~., ~- 1.. " '~~2... ~.. r ~V~'~ " ' '.~~~~2 ' '.' ',. )' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ r a 1. e ",,,. a igre7 EQ ~~22X \ / 26 7J4 Figure27a8Figure ; /C~~~~~~~~~~~~ Figure 7a Figure ~~~~~~~~L~~~~~2>~~ 7b

25 JULY Tropical 8 : " 2~28 \ 2 6 ^^\ " 29- ' 29^~~~~~~ '! ' - ^ ' - ~...'.^2a8282 "28" 9 ' '/'. ^ ^ '^ 1 ^ '" '... ' " " ~~~ /f (~~~~~ ' < ' ''~. ^2 5 '- 4 ;2 ~ ~ 27 _.. J. 27 c' ' ; '( 2 39 I :. Figure 7e

26 AUGUST Northern Hemisphere SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AUGUST Southern Hemisphere S~ ~~~~~~~~~~-.. ie_ -. ~ \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. 22/2 p~ -. X,," ' i~~~~~~~~~~' 26~~~~~ ~ ~~~~... '.~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, '. 2 7 Figure 8a Figure8b. 26 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~24 Figure 8a Figure 8b

27 AUGUST Tropical 25 24^' ",,^.2\ _.'. ": 1 25 r "'~~ ^ : ~~~~~~~~~Fgr ~~~~~282~~ Figure 8c

28 SEA SURFACE TEMVPERATURE SEPTEMBER Northern Hemisphere SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE SEPTEMBER Southern Hemisphere i~~~~~~,i.o 'o' A~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ X'K EQr 26 / ,1( 'Ilk 16", fo ~~24 26 /28 / ~2 8 ~ Figur.e '9. F i g r 9 Figure 9a Figure 9b

29 SEPTEMBER Tropical 27 9 '-28.2:J.' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~27 30~~~~2./25 K29 " ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2 222~-~ ~ ~ igur 2 Figure 9c

30 OCTOBER Northern Hemisphere SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE OCTOBER Southern Hemisphere t 4~ ~~.4 '~~~~~~~~~~1 ~ ~ ~. /~ ~.2 ~ /~ '""'. ~~~~~~~~~~ 12~ ','.. h'"'.zr2 2~~~~~~~2 -: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~.i.- jl~~~~~~~..- EQ 2.' -28 Figure 10a Figure 10b~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ '2.. ' / 2 4.." FFu ~~~~~ iue 0 igr 0

31 OCTOBER Tropical ^ ; ^ o ^.~. "-"!2u. ^ / J 28s 276 r: /^^ X > 28q'.. ~:F.24r l Figue5I9

32 NOVEMBER Northern Hemisphere SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE NOVEMBER Southern Hemisphere ;~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ V-4/ \28 EO 4 ' :,.~1 N 2: 2 2 ' 'I..... Q.. '~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, '"~.....2' 48 "i '/" ':...., --.~~~` /~~~~~~ ~~\;6 '~~~. ' ":,r'":-. 24 ~ t1 : I '2 :' '..''...'',...i... 26~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ""-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~..-' _...,-....,, 267~~~~~~~~~~~ 2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1 j'26 / 8 Figure~ l,.. ur ~--:12 ~/ ~~~~Figure lha Figure ll~ib

33 NOVEMBER Tropical ^.28> 27 "' / Figur 7 Figure 11c

34 DECEMBER Northern Hemisphere SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE DECEMBER Southern Hemisphere 28 I. I. /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 22 4;r- -,... 24t "1 22~~~~~~~~~~~~~2 F.. 2O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EQ 22.l \ a B~ \ \~-2 /\ 2 ~~~~~26 V- -~... I 'K. 26..' Figure 12a Figure 12b

35 DECEMBER Tropical ~ ~ ~ ~ ~2 6 Figure 12c

36 30 REFERENCES Indische Oceaan, Oceanografische en MeteoroZogische gegevens, Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut, No.135, 31 pp. (text) and 24 sheets, debitt, Marine CZimatic Atlas of the WorZd, Vol.V, South Pacific Ocean, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., NAVAER 50-lC-532, 267 pp., 1 November Monthly Charts of Mean, Minimum, and Maximum Sea Surface Temperature of the North Pacific Ocean, Naval Oceanographic Office, Washington, D.C., SP-123, 58 pp., MonthZy Mean Charts Sea Surface Temperature North Pacific Ocean , U.S. Department of Interior, Washington, D.C., Circular 258, 168 pp., June Oliger, J., R. Wellck, A. Kasahara, and W. Washington: Description of NCAR Global Circulation Model, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo., 94 pp., Sea Areas Round Australia, Oceanographic and Meteorological Data, Royal Nederlands Meteorological Institute, No.124, 79 pp., March Serial Atlas of the Marine Environment, Folio 16 Mean Monthly Sea Surface Temperatures and Zonal Anomalies of the Tropical Atlantic, Paul A. Mazeika, American Geographical Society, New York, 15 pp., World AtZas of Sea Surface Temperatures, U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office, H.O. 224, 2nd ed., Washington, D.C., 1944.

KUALA LUMPUR MONSOON ACTIVITY CENT

T KUALA LUMPUR MONSOON ACTIVITY CENT 2 ALAYSIAN METEOROLOGICAL http://www.met.gov.my DEPARTMENT MINISTRY OF SCIENCE. TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATIO Introduction Atmospheric and oceanic conditions over the tropical