On the Characteristics of Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies Persistence in the Indian-Pacific Ocean

Using Reynolds Smith's reconstructed monthly SST data (1950-1998) , the characteristics of the sea surface temperature anomalies persistence (SSTAP) over the Indian-Pacific Ocean have been investigated. The results show that the lengths of SSTAP are various in the Indian-Pacific Ocean. The sea areas can be sorted into three different types, one is with good SSTAP in all seasons, including the equatorial central to eastern Indian ocean, the tropical western Pacific and the U-shape sea areas around the the equatorial central to eastern Pacific; the second with poor SSTAP in all seasons, including marine East Asian and the south-estaern Pacific; and the third with remarkable seasonal variation, including the South China Sea and the the equatorial eastern Pacific.The lengths of SSTAP in all three types also vary with seasons. The SSTAP in summer is better than that in winter in the equatorial eastern Pacific, but the reverse is found in the the South China Sea and the marine East Asian.