FY 1982

Analysis of tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures for 1975 to 1980

Liu, C.-T.

NOAA Tech. Memo. ERL PMEL-34, NTIS: PB83-117465, 160 pp (1982)

This report presents contoured objective analyses made between 1975 and 1980 (inclusive) of sea surface temperature measurements taken in the Pacific from the western coastline of the Americas to 150°E, and from 25°N to 30°S. The analyses represent two-week-averaged SST fields contoured according to surface isotherms and include the time period of both the relatively weak El Niño of 1976 and the post-El Niño period, as well as the spatial domain of other climatically interesting regions of the western and central Pacific. While providing SST fields useful to study of the El Niño in terms of sea surface temperature variation, this report also draws attention to the nonseasonal SST (NSST) variation. At the onset of the 1976 El Niño, the equatorial NSST was 4σ (standard deviation) below its normal temperature for 1977–1980, while the mean NSST along 30° was 3σ above normal.