Subsurface Ocean Climate Data Records: Global Ocean Heat and Freshwater Content

Abstract:

The ocean is the main sink of excess heat in the Earth's climate

system. It absorbs more than 90% of the Top of the Atmosphere

imbalance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing long-wave

radiation. The ocean, covering more than 70% of the Earth's

surface, is also the major component of the planet’s freshwater

cycle. More than 60 years of in situ subsurface temperature and

salinity data have been compiled and quality controlled in

World Ocean Database of the National Centers for Environmental

Information. These data have been used to calculate time

series of global heat and salt changes in the ocean. Salt

changes can be used to calculate freshwater changes, including

from melting continental glaciers. Both time series provide

a measure of the changes in the Earth's climate system: from

heat sequestered in the ocean, to the rise of sea level due

to thermosteric and halosteric components. The time

series are updated every three months and are widely used

in climate related studies. Method of quality control

of the data, calculation of the time series, and dissemination

and use of the time series are discussed.