---
chapters: []
contact_email: ~
contact_note: ~
contributors:
  - display_name: 'Data Producer : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service '
    href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/contributor/4537.yaml
    id: 4537
    organization:
      country_code: US
      display_name: 'National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service'
      identifier: national-oceanic-atmospheric-administration-national-environmental-satellite-data-information-service
      name: 'National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service'
      organization_type_identifier: federal
      type: organization
      url: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov
    organization_uri: /organization/national-oceanic-atmospheric-administration-national-environmental-satellite-data-information-service
    person: {}
    person_id: ~
    person_uri: ~
    role_type_identifier: data_producer
    uri: /contributor/4537
  - display_name: 'Point of Contact : Boyin Huang (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) '
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    id: 4538
    organization:
      country_code: US
      display_name: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
      identifier: national-oceanic-atmospheric-administration
      name: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
      organization_type_identifier: federal
      type: organization
      url: http://www.noaa.gov/
    organization_uri: /organization/national-oceanic-atmospheric-administration
    person:
      display_name: Boyin Huang
      first_name: Boyin
      id: 2550
      last_name: Huang
      middle_name: ~
      orcid: ~
      type: person
      url: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/information/who_we_are/cpc_staff/Boyin_Huang.shtml
    person_id: 2550
    person_uri: /person/2550
    role_type_identifier: point_of_contact
    uri: /contributor/4538
display_name: 'Indicator: Sea Surface Temperatures'
doi: ~
files:
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href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/report/indicator-sea-surface-temperature.yaml
identifier: indicator-sea-surface-temperature
parents: []
publication_year: 2015
report_figures:
  - display_name: indicator-sea-surface-temperature
    href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/report/indicator-sea-surface-temperature/figure/indicator-sea-surface-temperature.yaml
    uri: /report/indicator-sea-surface-temperature/figure/indicator-sea-surface-temperature
report_findings: []
report_tables:
  - display_name: indicator-sea-surface-temperature-data-pilot
    href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/report/indicator-sea-surface-temperature/table/indicator-sea-surface-temperature-data-pilot.yaml
    uri: /report/indicator-sea-surface-temperature/table/indicator-sea-surface-temperature-data-pilot
report_type_identifier: indicator
summary: "Key Points:\r\n\r\n1. Changes in sea surface temperatures reflect the overall warming trend in the climate system and, in turn, influence weather and climate patterns worldwide. The bars on the graph show the number of degrees by which the average sea surface temperature for each year differs from the average sea surface temperature during the last century. \r\n\r\n2. During the past three decades, sea surface temperatures have exceeded the last century’s average every year.\r\n\r\n3. Sea surface temperature data can be used to understand the response of the ocean to global warming and, in turn, how that response may influence other changes in climate.\r\n\r\nFull Summary:\r\n\r\nOver 70% of Earth’s surface area is ocean, which plays a major role in regulating Earth’s climate system. Much of the heat trapped by increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas levels is absorbed by the ocean, causing ocean temperatures to rise. Changes in sea surface temperatures influence atmospheric circulation and the amount of water vapor present in the air, thereby affecting weather and climate patterns worldwide. \r\n\r\nThe bars on the graph show the number of degrees by which the average sea surface temperature for each year differs from the average sea surface temperature during the last century. During the past three decades, global average sea surface temperatures have exceeded the last century’s average every year and have been higher than at any other time since records began. The data shown represent temperatures in the upper 10 meters of the ocean and were drawn from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Merged Land–Ocean Surface Temperature Analysis (MLOST) dataset. \r\n\r\nSea surface temperature data can be used to understand the response of the ocean to global warming and, in turn, how that response may influence other changes in climate.\r\n"
title: 'Indicator: Sea Surface Temperatures'
uri: /report/indicator-sea-surface-temperature
url: http://www.globalchange.gov/browse/indicators/indicator-sea-surface-temperatures