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

A 144-hour (6-day) average sea surface temperature (SST) product derived from NOAA AVHRR satellite observations. The data is provided as a 0.02-degree resolution grid covering the region from 70°E to 170°W and 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

• Modeling ocean heat content and marine heatwaves based on 6-day averaged sea surface temperature data.
• Calibrating and validating ocean circulation models using satellite-derived SST with documented bias and standard deviation metrics.
• Studying regional climate patterns based on gridded temperature data covering a large swath of the Pacific and Indian Oceans around Australia.
• Analyzing long-term SST trends from a consistent, quality-controlled satellite product.

Strengths

• Data quality is documented with 2014 matchup statistics showing biases of <0.03°C and standard deviations of 0.6°C against buoy observations.
• Product provides a consistent 0.02° x 0.02° cylindrical equidistant projected grid for spatial analysis.
• Processing methodology is described, including wind speed filtering and a 0.17°C adjustment from SSTskin to SSTfnd.

Limitations

• Production of this specific single-sensor product ceased in June 2025; users needing later data must switch to a multi-sensor product.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The description does not specify the exact temporal coverage of the available data archive.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Derived from observations by AVHRR instruments on NOAA polar-orbiting satellites, processed into 6-day average grids.

Time Range

Archived data up to June 2025.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 03:06:26.234908; freshness should be verified as the product is archived.

Geography

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