Improved Extended Reconstruction of SST (1854–1997)

Abstract

An improved SST reconstruction for the 1854?1997 period is developed. Compared to the version 1 analysis, in the western tropical Pacific, the tropical Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, more variance is resolved in the new analysis. This improved analysis also uses sea ice concentrations to improve the high-latitude SST analysis and a modified historical bias correction for the 1939?41 period. In addition, the new analysis includes an improved error estimate. Analysis uncertainty is largest in the nineteenth century and during the two world wars due to sparse sampling. The near-global average SST in the new analysis is consistent with the version 1 reconstruction. The 95% confidence uncertainty for the near-global average is 0.4°C or more in the nineteenth century, near 0.2°C for the first half of the twentieth century, and 0.1°C or less after 1950.