GHRSST Level 2P: Sea Surface Temperature from EWS-G2 Satellite at 0.04-Degree Resolution

A continuously updated sea surface temperature dataset produced by the Naval Oceanographic Office from the EWS-G2 geostationary satellite, which was repositioned over the Indian Ocean in September 2023. The data is derived from 4-micron and 11-micron infrared channels, providing nighttime and daytime SST measurements, though daytime values are excluded where solar reflection angles exceed 50 degrees. It is packaged in netCDF4 format at a 0.04-degree spatial resolution with a 24-hour latency.

Use Cases

• Monitoring diurnal sea surface temperature cycles based on the separate nighttime and daytime SST products.
• Analyzing thermal patterns in the Indian Ocean region based on the satellite's repositioning to 60.0° West longitude.
• Assimilating satellite SST data into numerical weather prediction models based on the GHRSST-standardized L2P format.
• Studying the impact of solar radiation on infrared SST retrievals based on the exclusion of data where solar reflection angle > 50 degrees.

Strengths

• Data is provided at a high 0.04-degree spatial resolution.
• Follows the standardized GHRSST Data Specification version 2 (GDS2).
• Updated continuously with a defined 24-hour latency.
• Derived from a dedicated geostationary satellite (EWS-G2/GOES-15) providing persistent coverage.

Limitations

• Daytime SST measurements are not produced in areas where solar reflection angles exceed 50 degrees, creating data gaps.
• 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.

Provenance

Source

Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVO) via the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the GOES Imager sensor on the Electro-Optical Infrared Weather System – Geostationary (EWS-G2).

Time Range

Data is continually updated; the EWS-G2 satellite became fully operational over the Indian Ocean region on December 3, 2023.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:33:36.985607; data is continually updated.

Geography

Primary coverage is the Indian Ocean region from the satellite's position at 60.0° West longitude.