SSTA

Ssta, often written as SSTA, commonly denotes Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly, a metric used in oceanography and climate science. It represents the difference between observed sea surface temperatures (SST) and a baseline climatology, typically a multi-decade average. Positive anomalies indicate warmer-than-average conditions, while negative anomalies indicate cooler-than-average conditions. SSTA is computed on a grid and can be expressed monthly or seasonally, and at regional or global scales.

Data sources include satellite infrared and microwave observations, complemented by in situ measurements from buoys, ships, and Argo floats. SSTA maps are used to monitor climate variability, assess regional heat content, and study phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña, tropical cyclones, and marine heatwaves. Climate model simulations also use SSTA to evaluate model performance and project future changes in ocean warmth. Limitations include dependence on the baseline period, data processing differences across products, and potential biases in satellite retrievals; interpretation should consider gaps in coverage and changes in measurement methods over time.

In literature, SSTA is a standard diagnostic for ocean–atmosphere interaction, and the acronym can appear in other, unrelated contexts as well. Related topics include sea surface temperature, climate variability, and ENSO research.