MEAN SQUARE DEVIATION ANALYSIS OF INTERANNUAL SST VARIABILITY IN TROPICAL PACIFIC AND INDIAN OCEAN

Using the SST data series in tropical ocean (20°N ~ 20°S, 50°E ~ 80°W) during 1951 ~ 1997 to calculate its monthly mean square deviation, the work obtains results showing that interannual SST variability of the Pacific is more significant than that of the Indian Ocean, especially near the central and eastern equatorial Pacific (165°W～90°W, 6°N～6°S), where it ranges from 2°C to 4°C. The interannual SST variability is obvious in November and December but small in March and April. The interannual variability of “warm pool” SST is not so obvious as that of the eastern equatorial Pacific. However, interannual SST variability of the Indian Ocean ranges from 1°C to 2°C or so, being smaller than that of the Pacific. In the Indian Ocean, interannual SST variability of the Southern Hemisphere is more obvious than that of the Northern Hemisphere. According to above characteristics of interannual SST variability, the key sectors are determined.