IMOS Satellite Sea Surface Temperature: 6-Day Averages for Australia

Australian Ocean Data Network provides a Level 3S sea surface temperature product derived from NOAA AVHRR satellite observations. The data consists of 144-hour averages on a 0.02-degree grid covering 70°E to 170°W, 20°N to 70°S, with production ceasing in June 2025. Matchups with buoy observations for 2014 indicated biases under 0.03°C and standard deviations of 0.6°C.

Use Cases

• Analyzing multi-day sea surface temperature trends based on 144-hour weighted averages.
• Validating ocean models using satellite-derived SSTfnd data with documented bias and standard deviation.
• Mapping regional oceanographic features based on 0.02-degree gridded temperature data covering the Australian region.

Strengths

• Data is validated against buoy observations, with 2014 biases reported as <0.03°C and standard deviations of 0.6°C.
• Spatial coverage is extensive, spanning 70°E to 170°W and 20°N to 70°S.
• Product is part of the GHRSST suite with documented derivation methods and references.

Limitations

• Production of this single-sensor product ceased in June 2025, limiting temporal coverage.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic/temporal/source bias inherent to the NOAA AVHRR instruments.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, derived from NOAA AVHRR satellite instruments.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing, with SSTfnd derived by adding a constant 0.17°C to SSTskin after applying wind speed filters.

Time Range

Until June 2025.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 20:02:34.821961; freshness should be verified as product generation has ceased.

Geography

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