GHRSST Daily Sea Surface Temperature Analysis for Eastern Central Pacific

Daily sea surface temperature analysis from 2002 onward, produced operationally by Ifremer/CERSAT in France. This dataset provides a cloud-free foundation sea surface temperature field at approximately 2 km resolution for the Galapagos Islands and Eastern Central Pacific region. It is generated by merging and optimally interpolating calibrated microwave and infrared observations from multiple satellite sensors.

Use Cases

• Analyzing daily SST variability and trends in the Eastern Central Pacific for climate studies.
• Validating regional ocean circulation and heat flux models using a 0.02-degree gridded product.
• Monitoring thermal stress and upwelling patterns affecting marine ecosystems around the Galapagos.
• Assimilating cloud-free, gap-filled SST fields into numerical weather prediction models.

Strengths

• High spatial resolution of approximately 2 km (0.02-degree grid) for detailed regional analysis.
• Merges observations from six distinct satellite sensors (AVHRR, AATSR, SEVIRI, AMSRE, TMI, GOES) for sensor synergy.
• Provides daily, cloud-free fields using optimal interpolation, addressing a key limitation of infrared-only SST products.
• Satellite observations are intercalibrated using the AATSR sensor as a reference, which was itself calibrated with in-situ data.

Limitations

• Specific row count, total size, and precise license information are not provided by any source.
• The dataset's operational start date is implied but not explicitly confirmed across all platform entries.
• Column names and a complete data dictionary are unavailable from the provided sources.

Provenance

Source

Ifremer/CERSAT (France), with support from the European Commission MERSEA project.

Collection Method

Optimal interpolation (OI) of merged, intercalibrated microwave and infrared satellite SST observations.

Time Range

From 2002 onward (implied by operational daily production and sensor timelines).

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:07:03.962807

Geography

Galapagos Islands and the Eastern Central Pacific region on a 0.02-degree grid.