IMOS SST: Single-Sensor Monthly Daytime Sea Surface Temperature Averages for Australia

One month of daytime sea surface temperature (SSTskin) data, averaged from NOAA AVHRR satellite observations. The product is a 0.02° x 0.02° gridded map covering 70°E to 170°W, 20°N to 70°S, produced by the Australian Ocean Data Network. Production of this single-sensor product ceased in June 2025 due to satellite decommissioning.

Use Cases

• Calibrating ocean models based on gridded, area-weighted monthly SST averages.
• Analyzing regional daytime SST patterns and anomalies based on the 0.02° resolution map.
• Validating other satellite SST products based on reported 2014 biases of <0.3°C and standard deviations of 0.7°C.
• Studying historical SSTskin conditions for the Australian region prior to June 2025.

Strengths

• Provides a 0.02° x 0.02° resolution gridded product over a large region (70°E to 170°W, 20°N to 70°S).
• Data quality is indicated by 2014 matchup statistics showing biases <0.3°C and standard deviations of 0.7°C.
• Each grid cell contains a weighted average based on the area of overlap of highest-quality observations.

Limitations

• Production ceased in June 2025; data is not current beyond that date.
• Row count and specific column-level documentation are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Data reflects a specific temporal (daytime only) and sensor (AVHRR) bias.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Derived from AVHRR instruments on NOAA polar-orbiting satellites, processed to L3S (gridded) single-sensor product.

Time Range

One month of consecutive daytime periods (specific month not stated); historical data up to June 2025.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 21:10:31.763556; data collection ended June 2025.

Geography

70°E to 170°W, 20°N to 70°S (region encompassing Australia).