Modulation of the interdecadal trend of global surface air temperature by sea surface temperature over multiple ocean basins

Abstract Since the 20th century, accompanied by a long-term warming trend, the global surface air temperature (SAT) has exhibited distinct interdecadal oscillations. The period from 1910 to 2012 can be divided into four phases, including two rapid warming (1910–1945 and 1975–1998) and two warming slowdown (1940–1975 and 1998–2012) periods. This study explores the spatiotemporal characteristics of the interdecadal trends in global SAT under the influence of sea surface temperature (SST) on a multi-basin scale. Here, we have accumulated the numerical simulated SAT anomalies under the forcing of historical SST in the selected ocean basins. The results indicate that multi-basin SSTs collectively govern the spatiotemporal variations and interdecadal trends of SATs during rapid warming periods. SSTs in the Indian Ocean, North Atlantic, and western Pacific can affect the spatiotemporal interdecadal trends of SAT during 1940–1975. SSTs in the eastern tropical Pacific and North Pacific can modify the SAT spatiotemporal trends during 1998–2012. Considering the nonlinear interactions between different oceanic regions, the SAT forced by the collective SSTs in the six ocean basins shows high consistency with observation. This indicates that the combined effects of SSTs in the six ocean basins are key reasons for global SAT interdecadal change in 1910–2012.