A refresher on Sea Surface Temperature
The ocean covers 71 percent of Earth's surface. Scientists record sea surface temperature (SST) to understand how the ocean communicates with Earth's atmosphere. SST provides fundamental information on the global climate system.
Some examples of SSTs role in our climate systems:
- Heat Exchange: SST is pivotal for the exchange of heat between the ocean and the atmosphere. Heat absorbed by the ocean is moved from one place to another, but it doesn’t disappear. The heat energy eventually re-enters the rest of the Earth system by melting ice shelves, evaporating water, or directly reheating the atmosphere. Thus, heat energy in the ocean can warm the planet for decades after it was absorbed.
"Climate Change: Ocean Heat Content" BY Rebecca Lindsey and Luann Dahlman
- Atmospheric Circulation: SSTs help to drive atmospheric circulation patterns, which determine weather conditions globally. 'ENSO' stands for 'El Niño Southern Oscillation'. The name 'ENSO' is a reminder that close interaction between the atmosphere and ocean is an essential part of the process. While the global climate system contains many processes, ENSO is by far the dominant feature of climate variability on inter-annual timescales.
"Atmospheric Circulation," Met Office
- Climate Projections: SST data are essential for calibrating and validating climate models, ensuring their accuracy in representing current climate systems and projecting future conditions. These projections are crucial for understanding potential changes in climate, including global warming and extreme weather events. An example can be found in the following link, showing an increase of 1.28°C in and around Japan, which is higher than the global average of 0.61°C.
Sea surface Temperature Around Japan, Japanese Meterological Agency
Hopefully this gets our point across that its a pretty big issue for everyone who exists, and everyone who will exist.