Earth  ID: 30748

Sea Surface Temperature and Temperature Anomaly 2015-2016

Released on February 1, 2016
El Niño is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Sea surface temperature is the temperature of the top millimeter of the ocean's surface. A sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) represents how different the ocean temperature, at a particular location and time, is from the normal (or average) temperature for that place and time.

These maps, showing sea surface temperature and sea surface temperature anomalies, reveal the progression of the strong 2015-16 El Nino event from January 1, 2015 to January 2, 2016. The sea surface temperature data are seven-day averages calculated using daily thermal data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. Missing data have been filled with monthly-average data. The sea surface temperature anomaly data are seven-day averages calculated using the 5-kilometer Coral Reef Watch product produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The data are based on observations from geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites.

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Sea Surface Temperature compared to Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly
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A perspective view of SST and SSTA centered on the Pacific
 

Used Elsewhere In

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Related

El Niño Watch 2015

For More Information

https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/MODIS

http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite

Credits

Marit Jentoft-Nilsen: Visualizer
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA
Generated using SST data from MODIS and SSTA data from NOAA's Coral Reef Watch
Reef Watch Generated using AVISO Products

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https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30748

Mission:
Aqua

Data Used:
Daily 5-km Satellite Coral Bleaching Thermal Stress Monitoring SST Anomaly also referred to as: NOAA Coral Reef Watch
Observed Data
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Aqua/MODIS/Sea Surface Temperature
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Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.

Keywords:
SVS >> HDTV
SVS >> Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Climate Indicators >> Teleconnections >> El Nino Southern Oscillation
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Oceans >> Ocean Temperature >> Sea Surface Temperature
SVS >> Hyperwall
NASA Science >> Earth

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0