Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) data from the ERS 1 satellite mission are used in a global analysis of the surface temperature of the oceans. The data are the low resolution 0.5¿ by 0.5¿ average temperatures and cover about 24 months. At global scales a significant seasonal variability is found. On each of the hemispheres the surface temperatures reach their maximum after summer heating. The seasonal sea level variability, as observed from TOPEX/POSEIDON, reaches its maximum 1.1--1.4 months later. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1996