GHRSST Level 4 MW_IR_OI: Daily Global Sea Surface Temperature Analysis

A daily global sea surface temperature analysis produced on a 0.09-degree grid by Remote Sensing Systems for the Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST). It combines data from multiple microwave and infrared satellite sensors using optimal interpolation, with version 5.1 including updates to input files and error statistics. The dataset is provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling global ocean heat content based on daily, gridded sea surface temperature fields.
• Studying climate variability and trends using the through-cloud capabilities of microwave sensor data.
• Calibrating or validating other SST products based on the multi-sensor optimal interpolation method described.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of SST at a 0.09-degree resolution for regional oceanographic studies.

Strengths

• Integrates data from multiple advanced satellite sensors, including microwave (e.g., AMSR2, GMI) and infrared (e.g., MODIS, VIIRS) platforms.
• Provides daily global coverage on a consistent 0.09-degree grid.
• Version 5.1 includes updated input files, added NOAA-20 VIIRS data, and addressed processing deficiencies from the previous version.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The analysis does not incorporate in situ data from sources like drifting buoys.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration via Remote Sensing Systems (REMSS).

Collection Method

Optimal interpolation of satellite-derived sea surface temperature measurements from microwave and infrared sensors.

Time Range

Daily production; specific temporal coverage is not stated in the input.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 02:32:39.130583; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage.