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gfdl's home page > gfdl on-line bibliography > 1985: Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Models, 183-198
Observed long-term variability in the global surface temperatures of the atmosphere and oceans
| Oort, A. H., and M. C. Maher, 1985: Observed long-term variability in the global surface temperatures of the atmosphere and oceans. In Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Models, Elsevier Science Publishers, 183-198. |
| Abstract: Based on historical surface observations available at the U.S. National Climatic Center at Asheville, N.C., the monthly global fields of air-surface temperature, sea-surface temperature and sea-air temperature difference were analyzed for a 45-year period since May 1920. All available data were used. A clear long-term trend was found in the monthly time series of sea-air temperature difference for the tropics, being about 0.5 degrees C less during the 1920's and 1930's than during the 1960's and 1970's and with a gradual change in the years between. Probably this trend is not real, but due to the gradual change in observing the sea-surface temperature from using buckets to engine-intake data. Our analyses suggest a reasonable way to correct the historical sea-surface temperatures for changes in observing techniques, making them more useful for climate research. Clear evidence of El Niño/Southern Oscillation episodes are found throughout the 45-year period, although they may have been less frequent during the 1920's and 1930's than during the later years. |