MODIS Sea Surface Temperature Seasonal Variations Across Australian Waters, 2002-2017

Monthly sea surface temperature images from July 2002 to December 2017 are processed to calculate standard deviations for austral seasons. The dataset covers the entire Australian Exclusive Economic Zone and surrounding waters, including the southern ocean, with measurements in degrees Celsius. This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub.

Use Cases

• Analyze seasonal temperature variability based on standard deviations calculated for austral seasons.
• Model long-term climate trends in the Southern Ocean based on a 15-year time series of satellite data.
• Study marine ecosystem responses to temperature changes based on geospatial coverage of Australian EEZ waters.
• Validate oceanographic models using MODIS-derived sea surface temperature data.

Strengths

• Data spans a 15-year period from July 2002 to December 2017, providing a long-term climate record.
• Spatial coverage includes the entire Australian EEZ and surrounding waters, offering a comprehensive regional view.
• Derived from MODIS (Aqua) satellite imagery processed with NASA's SeaDAS software, indicating a standardized methodology.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale statistical modeling.
• Freshness should be verified; the last update timestamp is 2026-06-04, which may indicate a future-dated or static archive.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Derived from MODIS (Aqua) images using NASA's SeaDAS image processing software.

Time Range

July 2002 to December 2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 05:59:25.877130

Geography

Australian Exclusive Economic Zone and surrounding waters, including the southern ocean.