Aqua MODIS NRT: Global Day/Night Sea Surface Temperature

NASA's Ocean Biology DAAC provides near real-time global sea surface temperature data derived from Aqua MODIS thermal infrared daytime observations. This Level-3 binned product is processed with provisional ancillary data, making it a rapid snapshot for monitoring dynamic ocean conditions. Users apply the data to detect ocean fronts, monitor marine heatwaves, and drive ecosystem models, though it is sensitive to clouds and diurnal warming.

Use Cases

• Detect ocean fronts and eddies based on spatial temperature gradients (sst)
• Monitor marine heatwave events using global, near-daily temperature fields
• Drive ecosystem and habitat models by pairing SST with chlorophyll-a and PAR data
• Provide boundary conditions for biogeochemical and climate model analyses

Strengths

• Provides near real-time (NRT) data with a snapshot from a single orbit, enabling rapid monitoring
• Global spatial coverage from the MODIS Aqua satellite sensor
• Includes a quality flag (qual_sst) to assist users in filtering data

Limitations

• Inputs and calibration are described as 'less than optimal' for NRT products compared to standard science products
• Infrared-based SST is sensitive to clouds, aerosols, and diurnal warming, requiring careful analysis
• Metadata for row count, size, and license is missing or conflicting across platforms

Provenance

Source

NASA Ocean Biology Distributed Active Archive Center (OB.DAAC)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the MODIS instrument on the Aqua platform

Freshness

Last updated: 2026-03-13 20:30:37.907413

Geography

Global