Abstract
Onthebasisofmonthlyaveragedsatellitedata,thisstudyexaminedhowtheannual cycleofthe BalticSeasurfacetemperature(SST) variedspatially andtemporally duringtheperiod1986–2005. Weconcludethattherearetwomainthermalseasons intheBalticSeaseparatedonlybyshorttransitionalperiods–springlastingabout one month, and autumn lasting two months. Generally speaking, summer covers thepartofthe yearfromJunetoOctoberwiththehighestmonthlymeanSSTin August. Winter,withaminimummonthlymeanSSTinFebruaryinshallowwaters orin Marchin deeper areas,lasts fromDecember to April. As aresultof climate changes over the Baltic Sea region, strong positive trends in SST occur in the summermonths. Inconsequence,theperiodwithextremelyhighseasurfacewater temperatures has become slightly longer in the central Baltic. In the last decade winter changes in SST display zero or even negativetendencies. The investigated period was characterized by an annual increase in mean temperatures of about 0.03–0.07 ◦ C. However, the rates of monthly mean SST changes were sometimes morethanthreetimes ashigh.
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