GHRSST TMI: Global Subskin Sea Surface Temperature from TRMM Satellite

TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) data provides sea surface temperature (SST) retrievals from a satellite launched on 27 November 1997. The dataset, produced by Remote Sensing Systems for GHRSST, uses a Version-4 algorithm on the 10.7 GHz channel to measure SST through clouds. The satellite covers a semi-equatorial orbit between 38S and 38N, with observation times varying day-to-day.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean-atmosphere heat exchange based on subskin sea surface temperature measurements.
• Analyzing tropical climate variability based on cloud-penetrating microwave SST retrievals.
• Calibrating or validating other SST products based on the well-calibrated TMI radiometer data.
• Studying diurnal and seasonal SST cycles in tropical regions based on the satellite's precessing orbit.

Strengths

• Provides SST measurements through clouds, which are nearly transparent at the 10.7 GHz frequency used.
• Data is from a well-calibrated passive microwave radiometer, the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI).
• Algorithm (Version-4) removes surface roughness effects for potentially more accurate retrievals.
• Covers a specific geographic region (38S to 38N) relevant for tropical climate studies.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale ML projects.
• Geographic coverage is limited to tropical regions (38S to 38N), not global.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), with processing by Remote Sensing Systems using the 'AMSR Ocean Algorithm'.

Time Range

Data collection began after the satellite launch on 27 November 1997; specific end date is not provided.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:41:28.130798; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global tropical regions within 38 degrees South and 38 degrees North latitude.