Dataset Information

All files on this website are in NetCDF format. NetCDF files are self-describing (meaning that metadata is self-contained in the file), however we provide some information here regarding dataset usage and important caveats.

Maximum Monthly Mean Climatolgy 1982-2014

Filename- Maximum_Monthly_Means_Indices_Claar_V1.0

Sea Surface Temperature Monthly Means 1982-2014 - SST mean for every month at each location (used to determine MMM).
Maximum Monthly Mean (MMM) - the mean temperature of the warmest month of the year
MMM Indices - the warmest month (Jan - Dec) at that location, i.e. the month in which the MMM occurs.

SST Climatology (Means, Standard Deviations, Variances) 1982-2014

Filename- SST_Means_Var_Std_Claar_V1.0

Sea surface temperature means, standard deviations, and variances for each location.

Degree Heating Week Data (1982-2016)

Filename- DHW_YEAR_Daily_Claar_V1.0

Degree Heating Weeks (DHW), a metric used to quantify heat stress on coral reefs.

Data Source

All datasets were originally derived from Daily AVHRR-only GHRSST Optimally Interpolated Level-4 Sea Surface Temperature data: AVHRR-only L4 blended Global OI NCDC-L4LRblend-GLOB-AVHRR_OI

Caveats

• While this is a global dataset, it is intended for use in tropical and subtropical regions where coral reefs grow. DHW is probably not a useful metric for temperate and/or polar regions, and we recommend against using this product for these regions.