Abstract
A monthly record of mean sea surface temperature at Millport, Great Cumbrae, Firth of Clyde, derived from daily records of sea water temperature taken from the Field Centre’s Keppel pier, is available for the following years: 1909-1914; 1916-1926; 1949 to present. This record is compared to meteorological data from the local region, most notably those from the Field Centre itself (from 1st January 1951), and with climate drivers such as the North Atlantic Oscillation. The ameliorating effect of the sea is clearly evident at Millport compared to the mainland. Just like the land surface temperature record, the long-term record of sea surface temperature at Millport shows a general warming trend, but with greater differences between warmer and cooler years compared to the air temperature record: temperatures match closely in the cooler years but sea surface temperatures are noticeably higher in the warm years.