Trends in sea surface temperature of the Sea of Okhotsk and adjacent water areas by satellite data in 1998–2017

For the Sea of Okhotsk and the adjacent water areas, a series of mean monthly sea surface temperature values were computed from satellite measurements of 20 years (1998–2017). In each space cell, the coefficients of the linear trend are determined by the method of least squares. Such coefficients were calculated for each month separately, for the whole series as a whole, and also for average values of the temperature for the season. The relationship of these coefficients to the observed decrease in ice extent in the water area of the Sea of Okhotsk during the last twenty years has been analyzed. It is shown that the heat content of the surface layer in this basin decreases, most significantly in its northern and western parts. This trend is especially pronounced in the spring, which may be due to a decrease in ice cover and a more significant cooling of the waters due to winter convection.