Remote sensing of seasonal and annual variation of equatorial new production: A model for global estimates

Sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) are strongly correlated with surface nitrate concentrations in coastal upwelling regions. Upwelling also occurs in the equatorial Pacific; correlations between temperature and nitrate concentration are strong. The University of Miami weekly averaged Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) SST data for October 1986 through June 1989 have been used to compute surface nitrate concentrations from 90 deg - 180 deg W and from 15 deg S - 15 deg N. The surface areas with nitrate above detection limits are combined with existing nitrate uptake data to give weekly estimates of equatorial new production.