Terra MODIS: Nighttime 4µm Sea Surface Temperature

Global ocean coverage is provided by this Terra MODIS Level-2 product, which retrieves sea surface temperature from mid-wave infrared bands near 4 µm. The data is produced in near real-time by NASA's Ocean Biology DAAC, offering a snapshot from a single orbit, though with suboptimal calibration inputs. SST4 measurements are designed for nighttime use and can complement traditional split-window SST in humid or tropical conditions.

Use Cases

• Monitoring tropical ocean heat content based on SST4 measurements.
• Assessing atmospheric water vapor effects on SST retrievals based on the mid-wave IR methodology.
• Flagging low-quality data for research based on the `qual_sst4` and `l2_flags` columns.
• Comparing near real-time snapshots with optimally processed datasets based on the NRT product description.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage every 1 to 2 days via the Terra MODIS instrument.
• Includes specific geophysical variables for error assessment, such as `bias_sst4` and `stdv_sst4`.
• Available in near real-time (NRT) for timely analysis.

Limitations

• Inputs and calibration for the NRT product are described as 'less than optimal'.
• Metadata completeness is low: row counts, size, and specific temporal coverage are not provided.
• Conflicting license information exists between platforms ('other-license-specified' vs. 'None').

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ocean Biology DAAC.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Terra MODIS instrument.

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-04-09 according to datagov.

Geography

Global