Data associated with Gnanadesikan, Kim, and Pradal, Impact of colored dissolved materials on the annual cycle of sea surface temperature: Potential implications for extreme ocean temperatures

Because colored dissolved materials (CDMs) trap incoming sunlight closer to the surface, they have the potential to affect sea surface temperatures. We compare two models, one with and one without CDMs, and show that their presence leads to an increase in the amplitude of the seasonal cycle over coastal and northern subpolar regions, which may exceed 2°C. The size and sign of the change are controlled by the interplay between enhanced shortwave heating of the surface, shading and cooling of the subsurface and the extent to which these are connected by vertical mixing. The changes in the seasonal cycle largely explain changes in the range of temperature extremes, an aspect of climate with important implications for ecosystem cycling. The modeled changes associated with CDMs have an intriguing resemblance to the observed trend in the annual cycle seen in recent decades, suggesting that more attention be paid to the role of “ocean yellowing” in global change.