MODIS Sea Surface Temperature from 2002 to 2006

  • Released Tuesday, December 5, 2006
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A recent study indicates there is a correlation between ocean nutrients and changes in sea surface temperature (SST). The results show that when ocean water warms, marine plant life in the form of microscopic phytoplankton tend to decline. When water cools, plant life flourishes. Changes in phytoplankton growth influence fishery yields and the amount of carbon dioxide the oceans remove from the atmosphere. This could have major implications on the future of our ocean's food web and how it relates to climate change.

The temperature data in this visualization comes from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA's Terra and Aqua spacecraft.

In order to see the correlation between SST and SeaWiFS data, this animation can be compared to the latter part of the 'SeaWiFS Biosphere from 1997 to 2006' animation.

This animation shows a 32-day moving average of SST data over the Pacific spanning July 4, 2002 to October 23, 2006.

This product is available through our Web Map Service.

Sea Surface Temperature in Degrees Celsius.

Sea Surface Temperature in Degrees Celsius.

A 32-day average of SST data over the Pacific Ocean averaged over September 22, 2006 to October 23, 2006.

A 32-day average of SST data over the Pacific Ocean averaged over September 22, 2006 to October 23, 2006.

For More Information

See http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2006/warm_marine.html

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

This page was originally published on Tuesday, December 5, 2006.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:55 PM EDT.

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Related papers

'Climate-Driven Trends in Contemporary Ocean Productivity', Nature, Dec. 7

'Climate-Driven Trends in Contemporary Ocean Productivity', Nature, Dec. 7

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