GHRSST Level 2P: 1 km Global Sea Surface Temperature from Metop-A Satellite

A global 1 km resolution sea surface temperature dataset produced in near real-time by the Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility. Infrared channels from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer on the Metop-A satellite, launched in October 2006, are processed using a multispectral algorithm corrected with atmospheric models. The data is delivered in GHRSST-compliant format as full-resolution metagranules corresponding to 3-minute acquisition segments.

Use Cases

• Monitoring global ocean heat content and thermal anomalies based on near real-time, 1 km resolution SST retrievals.
• Assimilating satellite observations into numerical weather prediction and ocean circulation models based on the described atmospheric correction process.
• Studying diurnal warming and sub-skin temperature variability based on the high temporal and spatial resolution of the metagranules.
• Validating and calibrating other satellite or in-situ SST measurement systems based on the GHRSST-standardized product.

Strengths

• Provides 1 km spatial resolution, offering detailed thermal mapping of ocean surfaces.
• Uses a multispectral algorithm corrected with atmospheric profiles from numerical weather models to reduce regional and seasonal biases.
• Produced in near real-time by the operational OSI SAF, supporting time-sensitive applications.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset's temporal coverage is tied to a single satellite platform (Metop-A), which may introduce gaps or biases.

Provenance

Source

European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI SAF).

Collection Method

SST retrieved from AVHRR infrared channels (3.7, 10.8, 12.0 micrometer) using a multispectral algorithm, with corrections from atmospheric models.

Time Range

Data available from the Metop-A satellite launch on 19 October 2006 onward.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:33:40.703397; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage.