GHRSST Level 4 Daily Sea Surface Temperature Analysis for the Tropical Atlantic

Eleven PIRATA buoy stations provide in-situ validation for this daily, 0.05-degree resolution sea surface temperature dataset covering the Tropical Atlantic from 45°S to 15°N and 70°W to 15°W. The Oceanographic Modeling and Observation Network (REMO) at LMA/UFRJ operationally produces this Level 4 analysis by blending infrared AVHRR and microwave TMI satellite data using a Barnes optimal interpolation technique to create a daily cloud-free product. This dataset is part of the international Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST) initiative.

Use Cases

• Analyzing daily SST anomalies and trends in the Tropical Atlantic basin using the 0.05-degree gridded temperature field.
• Validating ocean circulation and coupled climate models against in-situ buoy measurements from the PIRATA array.
• Studying the blending efficacy of infrared (AVHRR) and microwave (TMI) sensors for creating cloud-free SST composites.
• Investigating air-sea heat fluxes and their role in regional climate phenomena using a high-resolution, operationally produced SST foundation.

Strengths

• Dataset is validated by in-situ measurements from eleven buoys in the PIRATA array.
• Blends high-resolution infrared AVHRR data with cloud-penetrating microwave TMI data to mitigate cloud contamination.
• Provides a high spatial resolution of approximately 5.5 km (0.05-degree grid) for regional analysis.
• Produced on a daily operational basis, indicating a consistent processing pipeline.

Limitations

• Conflicting last update dates exist between platforms: datagov lists 2026-03-05, while nasa_earthdata lists 2016-10 12.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and column names are not provided on any platform.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the regional domain of the Tropical Atlantic (45°S to 15°N, 70°W to 15°W).

Provenance

Source

Oceanographic Modeling and Observation Network (REMO) at Applied Meteorology Laboratory/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (LMA/UFRJ).

Collection Method

Barnes optimal interpolation technique applied to blended Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Microwave Imager (TMI) satellite data.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-03-05 23:56:56.617266

Geography

Latitudes 45°S to 15°N and longitudes 70°W to 15°W (Tropical Atlantic region).