Satellite-derived sea surface temperature maps for European and adjacent waters. The German Aerospace Center produced daily, weekly, and monthly composites from March 1993 to at least April 2007, using data from NOAA satellites 11, 14, 16, 17, and 18. The product covers the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and North Sea.
Use Cases
- Analyze temporal SST trends and anomalies in the Mediterranean Sea using daily and weekly composite maps.
- Validate regional ocean circulation models by comparing simulated SST with the satellite-derived maps for the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea.
- Study the impact of sensor transitions (e.g., NOAA-16 to NOAA-17) on data continuity by comparing SST values from overlapping processing periods in early 2007.
- Investigate cloud screening effectiveness by examining the spatial consistency of SST values in the 8-bit channel data across composite periods.
Strengths
- Multi-decadal temporal coverage from 1993 to at least 2007.
- Spatial coverage includes multiple European seas and the North Atlantic.
- Data provided at daily, weekly, and monthly composite frequencies.
Limitations
- Data continuity is interrupted by multiple satellite sensor failures and transitions, creating gaps in the record.
- The 8-bit data channel may limit the precision and dynamic range of temperature values.
- Known image artifacts, such as striping on NOAA-16 data, affect specific periods.
Provenance
- Source
- German Aerospace Center (DLR) via NASA Earthdata.
- Collection Method
- Derived from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensors on NOAA satellites, using channels 4 and 5, with cloud screening and image registration.
- Time Range
- March 1993 to at least April 2007, with gaps due to sensor issues.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Western Atlantic.