NOAA-20 VIIRS: Global Nighttime Sea Surface Temperature Data

VIIRS is a 22-band instrument on the JPSS spacecraft, including Suomi NPP launched in October 2011. It provides global binned sea surface temperature measurements at 11µm during nighttime. The data is produced by NASA and NOAA, with the latest version R2024.0 updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Monitor global ocean warming patterns based on nighttime sea surface temperature measurements.
• Validate and calibrate ocean circulation models using satellite-derived temperature data.
• Study diurnal temperature variation by comparing this nighttime product with daytime observations.
• Analyze long-term climate trends in specific ocean basins using the consistent VIIRS sensor record.

Strengths

• Data originates from the VIIRS instrument, which has 22 spectral bands for detailed observation.
• The dataset is part of the JPSS program, a multi-agency consolidation by NASA and NOAA.
• Version R2024.0 indicates ongoing curation and updates, with a last update recorded in March 2026.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and spatial/temporal resolution details are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data from the VIIRS instrument on the NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP spacecraft.

Time Range

Coverage likely begins after the Suomi NPP launch in October 2011; specific range is unknown.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:14:52.045366; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global