Suomi-NPP VIIRS: Global Daytime Sea Surface Temperature

Near real-time global sea surface temperature data derived from Suomi-NPP VIIRS satellite thermal infrared observations during daytime. The Ocean Biology DAAC produces these products using the best-available ancillary meteorological and ozone data, though inputs and calibration are noted as less than optimal. Users apply the data to detect ocean fronts and eddies, monitor marine heatwaves, and drive ecosystem models.

Use Cases

• Detect ocean fronts and eddies based on sea surface temperature gradients.
• Monitor marine heatwaves based on temporal SST anomalies.
• Drive ecosystem and habitat models based on SST when paired with other ocean color variables like chlor_a.
• Provide boundary conditions for biogeochemical and climate analyses based on global SST fields.

Strengths

• Provides near real-time data, offering a snapshot within a single orbit.
• Includes a quality level flag (qual_sst) to assist with data filtering.
• Covers a global spatial scale for sea surface temperature.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• IR-based SST is sensitive to clouds, aerosols, and diurnal warming, requiring pairing with nighttime data for minimum effects.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

OB_DAAC (Ocean Biology DAAC)

Collection Method

Derived from Suomi-NPP VIIRS satellite thermal infrared observations.

Freshness

Near real-time

Geography

Global