IMOS Ships of Opportunity: 1-Minute Sea Surface Temperature Data from Australian Vessels

The IMOS Ships of Opportunity - Sea Surface Temperature Sensors Sub-Facility produces 1-minute median sea surface temperature (SST) data products. Data originates from three vessels (L'Astrolabe, Xutra Bhum, Wana Bhum) operating in Australian, Southern Ocean, and South-East Asian waters, collected via hull-mounted sensors. Data underwent automated quality control by the Bureau of Meteorology followed by manual inspection, with all streams discontinued by April 2013.

Use Cases

• Analyzing high-resolution SST variability based on 1-minute median temperature readings.
• Studying seasonal temperature patterns in Antarctic waters based on data from the summer-operating vessel L'Astrolabe.
• Comparing automated and manual quality control outcomes based on the described QC process.
• Investigating discontinued data streams for historical climate reconstructions based on the 2013 end date.

Strengths

• Data underwent dual quality control: automated processing by the Bureau of Meteorology followed by visual inspection.
• Provides high-resolution 1-minute median SST values from three distinct vessels.
• Covers specific geographic regions: Australian region, Southern Ocean, and South-East Asia.

Limitations

• All data streams are discontinued, with the last update noted as April 2013.
• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Data availability is described as 'approximately every 3 months' in delayed mode, indicating irregular updates.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Data logged from SBE 38 and SBE 48 hull-temperature sensors on vessels, manually retrieved by staff, processed through Bureau of Meteorology QC systems.

Time Range

Data streams discontinued by April 2013.

Geography

Australian region, Southern Ocean, South-East Asia, Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters.