Global Skin Sea Surface Temperature from MetOp-A AVHRR Satellite

Near real-time global sea surface temperature (SST) data is produced from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on the MetOp-A satellite. The European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI SAF) generates this product using a multispectral algorithm corrected with atmospheric models. Data is delivered in full satellite projection as 3-minute acquisition granules compliant with the GHRSST Data Specification.

Use Cases

• Monitoring global ocean heat content and thermal anomalies using SST measurements.
• Validating and calibrating numerical weather prediction and climate models with satellite-derived skin temperature data.
• Studying ocean-atmosphere interactions and heat flux using the bias-corrected multispectral algorithm outputs.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of sea surface temperature for fisheries management and marine ecosystem research.

Strengths

• Data is produced in near real-time, enabling timely analysis of current ocean conditions.
• SST retrieval uses a multispectral algorithm corrected for regional and seasonal biases with atmospheric profiles, enhancing accuracy.
• Product adheres to the international GHRSST Data Specification (GDS) version 2, ensuring standardization and interoperability.

Limitations

• Specific column names, dataset size, row count, and license information are unavailable from the provided sources.
• There is a conflict in reported last update dates between platforms (2013-07-04 and 2026-03-06), casting doubt on data freshness and maintenance status.

Provenance

Source

EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI SAF).

Collection Method

SST retrieved from AVHRR infrared channels (3.7, 10.8 and 12.0 µm) on the MetOp-A satellite, with processing at Meteo-France/Centre de Meteorologie Spatiale (CMS).

Freshness

2026-03-06 00:12:09.671921

Geography

Global