Mediterranean Sea Surface Temperature Daily Maps at 0.01 Degree Resolution

Daily gap-free sea surface temperature maps for the Mediterranean Sea at an ultra-high 0.01-degree horizontal resolution. The data is derived from infrared satellite radiometer measurements and statistical interpolation. It is produced by GHRSSTCWIC as the nominal operational sea surface temperature product for the Mediterranean Sea within the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS).

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal trends in sea surface temperature across the Mediterranean basin using daily L4 analysis fields.
• Validate regional ocean circulation models by comparing simulated SST against the 0.01-degree resolution gap-free maps.
• Study marine heatwave intensity and duration by examining the spatially complete temperature data over time.
• Correlate SST anomalies from the interpolated maps with in-situ buoy measurements for sensor validation.

Strengths

• Ultra-high spatial resolution of 0.01 degrees per grid cell.
• Daily temporal resolution providing frequent observations.
• Gap-free L4 analysis product created via statistical interpolation of satellite data.

Limitations

• Specific temporal coverage and total record length are unknown.
• Relies on satellite infrared measurements, which can be obscured by cloud cover prior to interpolation.
• Uncertainty in coastal and marginal sea areas may be higher due to interpolation challenges.

Provenance

Source

GHRSSTCWIC via NASA Earthdata (GDS version 2).

Collection Method

Statistical interpolation of infrared measurements from satellite radiometers.

Freshness

Nominal operational product, but specific update frequency is unknown.

Geography

Mediterranean Sea.