IMOS Satellite Sea Surface Temperature: Southern Ocean Daytime Averages

NOAA-19 satellite data provides a 1-day average sea surface temperature map for the Southern Ocean. The product is derived from daytime passes of the AVHRR instrument, gridded at a 0.02-degree resolution. Matchups with buoy observations indicate typical 2014 biases of less than 0.1°C and standard deviations of 0.5°C to 0.6°C for NOAA-18 and NOAA-19.

Use Cases

• Validating ocean circulation models based on daily sea surface temperature averages.
• Studying diurnal warming cycles in the Southern Ocean based on daytime-only satellite passes.
• Calibrating other remote sensing instruments using the reported bias and standard deviation metrics.
• Analyzing spatial temperature gradients in the Southern Ocean region from 27°S to 78°S.

Strengths

• Spatial resolution is specified as 0.02 degrees by 0.02 degrees.
• Product accuracy is quantified with reported biases under 0.1°C and standard deviations of 0.5-0.6°C for 2014.
• Geographic coverage is explicitly defined from 3°E to 158°W and 27°S to 78°S.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data is limited to daytime passes, excluding nocturnal temperature observations.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN) / Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS)

Collection Method

Derived from observations by the AVHRR instrument on NOAA-19 and other NOAA-XX satellites.

Time Range

Covers a single day-time period; specific date not provided in input.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 14:49:51.793289; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Ocean region from 3°E to 158°W, 27°S to 78°S.