Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation anomalies south of New Zealand during 1957 to 1966

Abstract

Abstract Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) observed near 60°S, 170°E during the spring and summer each year from 1957 to 1966 showed large year‐to‐year variations. The monthly mean SSTs in the springs of 1958, 1963, and 1964 were comparatively cold, but those in 1961 and 1966 were comparatively warm. Much smaller magnitude, nearly 2‐yearly variations occurred in the monthly mean SSTs at Campbell Island (52° 40’ S, 169° E) also. Surface pressure data were used to compute the geostrophic wind, wind‐stress and wind‐drift convergence and their yearly anomalies for the same periods. Theoretical transverse circulation models of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current applied to the observed wind distributions, provided plausible explanations of the yearly differences of the SSTs near 60° S. The largest SST and atmospheric circulation anomalies within the 10‐year period occurred in the springs of 1963 and 1964. The nature of the anomalies suggested that they were indirectly related to the increase of atmospheric turbidi...