Globally-Gridded Interpolated Night-Time Marine Air Temperatures 1900–2009

Over the past century, climate records have pointed to an increase in global near surface average temperature. Near surface air temperature over the oceans is a relatively unused parameter in understanding the current state of climate, but is useful as an independent temperature metric over the oceans and serves as a geographical and physical complement to near-surface air temperature over land. This University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) study began with the construction of monthly night-time marine air temperature (UAHNMAT) values derived from the International Comprehensive Ocean and Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS). The time series of UAHNMAT, once adjusted to a standard reference height, will be gridded to 0.5°, 1°, 2.5°, and 5.0° grid boxes and interpolated using the kriging interpolation technique with an anisotropic search radius. This study will present results which quantify the variability and trends and compare to current trends of other related datasets that include HadMAT, sea-surface temperatures (SST) and blended products (land surface air temperature and SST).