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Seasonal patterns of SST diurnal variation over the T ropical W arm P ool region
Author(s) -
Zhang Haifeng,
Beggs Helen,
Wang Xiao Hua,
Kiss Andrew E.,
Griffin Christopher
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9291
pISSN - 2169-9275
DOI - 10.1002/2016jc012210
Subject(s) - diurnal temperature variation , climatology , environmental science , variation (astronomy) , seasonality , atmospheric sciences , oceanography , geology , ecology , biology , physics , astrophysics
Five year (2010–2014) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sea surface temperature (SST) data produced by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology have been validated against drifting buoy data and then used to study the seasonal patterns of the SST diurnal variation (DV) events over the Tropical Warm Pool region (TWP, 25°S–15°N, 90°E–170°E). The in situ validation results illustrate the overall good quality of the AVHRR SST data set, although an average 0.19 K underestimation of the daytime measurements has been observed. The nighttime observations are in good agreement with in situ buoys with an average bias of 0.03 and a 0.30 K standard deviation of the biases. This SST data set is then used to characterize the SST DV seasonal patterns, together with wind speeds, daily maximum solar shortwave insolation (SSI max ), and latent heat flux (LHF). A double‐peak seasonal pattern of SST DV is observed over the study region: the strongest DVs are found in March and October and the weakest in June. Sensitivity tests of DV to wind, SSI max , and LHF are conducted. The results indicate (1) different morning and early afternoon winds (7 A.M. to 2 P.M. local time, LT) affect DV by as much as 0.73 K when the half‐daily (defined as 2 A.M. to 2 P.M. LT in this study) average winds are fixed between 2 and 3 m s −1 ; (2) SSI max levels regulate DV less significantly (<0.68 K) under fixed winds; and (3) LHF effects on DV are relatively weak (<0.35 K).