FIRE ASTEX: Weekly Sea Surface Temperature from NOAA Satellites, 1992

Weekly sea surface temperature fields from 1992, collected by NOAA-11 and NOAA-12 polar orbiting satellites. The data was generated for the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) as part of the First ISCCP Regional Experiments (FIRE) to improve cloud and radiation models. Each file contains 752 pixels per row across 652 rows, with a spatial resolution of 0.02 degrees.

Use Cases

• Calibrating satellite-derived sea surface temperature products based on the described NOAA-11/12 observations.
• Studying marine stratocumulus cloud interactions with ocean temperature based on the experiment's stated goals.
• Validating general circulation model (GCM) cloud/radiation parameterizations as referenced in the FIRE program description.
• Analyzing weekly temperature variability in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean during the 1992 ASTEX field period.

Strengths

• Data originates from a coordinated NASA field experiment (FIRE/ASTEX) designed for model validation.
• Provides weekly temporal resolution for the year 1992.
• Offers high spatial resolution of 0.02 degrees per pixel.
• Includes observations from two distinct satellite platforms (NOAA-11 and NOAA-12).

Limitations

• Row count and total dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Temporal coverage is limited to weekly data from 1992.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Observations made by NOAA 11 and 12 polar orbiting satellites.

Time Range

Weekly data from 1992.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:55:29.066118; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean, with a focus on the ASTEX experiment region.