Global Sea Surface Temperatures

   This directory contains monthly mean analyzed sea surface
temperatures (SSTs) from January 1946 to the latest month for each two
degree latitudinal and longitudinal squares over the global ocean between
80S and 80N. The monthly mean SSTs are analyzed at the Office of Marine
Prediction, the JMA based on in situ SST data compiled by the JMA for a
period from 1961 to the latest month.  The Compressed Marine Reports of
the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) compiled by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States of America are
also used in a period from 1946 to 1986.

   Monthly normals and standard deviations for a thirty-year period from
1971 to 2000 are also available in this directory.  They are calculated for
the squares which have 5 or more monthly SSTs during the thirty-year period.

Directory structure
         glbsst
            |___README (This Document)
            |       
            |___YYYY (Directory for the data file)
            |             |__ glbsst.Jan
            |             |__ glbsst.Feb
            |                     :
            |                     :
            |----norm2000 (Directory for the normals from 1971 to 2000)
            |----norm1990 (Directory for the normals from 1961 to 1990)
            |____norm (symbolic link to " /norm2000")

where  YYYY is a year (e.g. 1999).


Data format
  The each monthly data set consists of 81 records, one header record and
following 80 data records from north to south.   The header record contains
the year and month in 2I4.  Each data record is written as 180I3 from west
to east, with unit in 0.1C.   That is, the first value of the first data
record is for the grid centered at 79 degree North and 1 degree East, and
the last value of the last data record is for that at 79 degree South and
1 degree West, respectively.  '999' is placed on the grid on land, and '777'
is placed on the grid where a temperature value cannot be determined.
  The each monthly normals consists of 2 blocks, each block have the same
format with the each monthly data set. Year '9999' in the header record of
block shows the block of normal  and  '8888' shows the block of standard
deviation.

For further information, please contact the Regional Real Time Data Base at
neargoos@climar.kishou.go.jp