Abstract: Based on the monthly averaged sea surface temperature (SST) derived from the optimum interpolation sea surface temperature (OISST) from January 1982 to December 2006, the authors analyze the spatial and temporal variability of SST anomalies (SSTA) in southern South China Sea using the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) method. The results show the existence of three major SSTA spatial patterns, which include the basin-scale single gyre pattern with the center in the northern area, the west-eastward antiphase dipole pattern, and the north-southward antiphase dipole pattern. The three modes all have interannual variations, which reflect the relationship between the SSTA of southern South China Sea and ENSO phenomena. The semi-annual and the intraseasonal variations are also found in Mode 3, which results from wind forcing and heat budget.