Journal: Journal of Climate

Abstract:

Understanding the spatiotemporal variability of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) around China and its underlying mechanisms is crucial for regional climate prediction and adaptation. In this study, based on the monthly Optimum Interpolation SST dataset from 1982 to 2019, the decadal variations of SSTs and surface climate indices in the four seasons around China were analyzed. The results show that the decadal variability of seasonal SST anomalies around China is spatially heterogeneous and seasonally dependent. The Northwest Pacific (NWP) shows a significant warming trend in winter and summer, particularly after the mid-1990s, while the South China Sea (SCS) experiences cooling. In spring and autumn, a cooling–warming–cooling pattern appears over the NWP. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) play key roles in modulating the decadal SST variability around China. The PDO has a greater impact on the SST variability in the NWP, while the ENSO mainly affects the SST variability in the tropical Indian Ocean and the SCS. The results of this study provide valuable information for understanding the climate change in the coastal region of China.