GHRSST Sea Surface Temperature from NOAA-18 AVHRR Satellite

2005 to present, this dataset provides regional sea surface temperature (SST) measurements derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on the NOAA-18 satellite. It is a Level 2P product generated in real-time by the US Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVO) for operational oceanographic analysis and forecasting. The sensor provides a swath of approximately 2400 km with a ground resolution of 1.1 km at nadir.

Use Cases

• Validating and initializing numerical ocean forecast models using spatially detailed SST retrievals.
• Studying diurnal and seasonal SST variability using twice-daily observations from a sun-synchronous orbit.
• Analyzing regional ocean heat content and thermal fronts with data from the 11 and 12 micron thermal infrared channels.
• Assessing satellite-derived SST algorithms by comparing multi-channel retrievals from the AVHRR instrument.

Strengths

• Provides operational, real-time data with a long sensor legacy tracing back to 1978.
• Offers high spatial detail with a ground resolution of 1.1 km at nadir and a wide 2400 km swath.
• Data is produced by an authoritative source, the US Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVO), for critical forecasts.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, specific columns, data size, and license are not provided by any source.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date between platforms (2009-09-09 on NASA Earthdata vs. 2026 03-05 on Data.gov).

Provenance

Source

US Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVO) / National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on the NOAA-18 platform, with data acquired in HRPT, LAC, or GAC formats.

Time Range

2005 to present (NOAA-18 launched May 20, 2005).

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:15:37.818957

Geography

Regional coverage, specific region not defined in provided sources.