Terra MODIS SST4: 4µm Nighttime Sea Surface Temperature

Terra MODIS Level-2 SST4 data provides sea surface temperature retrieved from mid-wave infrared bands near 4 µm. This near real-time product from NASA's Ocean Biology DAAC is typically used at night to avoid solar contamination and offers reduced sensitivity to atmospheric water vapor compared to longer-wavelength measurements. The dataset includes core variables like temperature, bias, quality flags, and standard deviation.

Use Cases

• Monitoring nighttime sea surface temperature in tropical regions based on the 4 µm band's reduced sensitivity to water vapor.
• Assessing data quality for SST retrievals using the provided quality flags and standard deviation fields.
• Comparing 4 µm SST measurements with reference temperatures or other satellite products for validation studies.
• Analyzing near real-time ocean temperature snapshots for operational oceanography based on the quicklook product description.

Strengths

• Provides a complementary sea surface temperature measurement less sensitive to atmospheric water vapor, as described for humid conditions.
• Includes multiple quality assurance variables such as bias, flags, and standard deviation for each temperature retrieval.
• Available as a near real-time product, offering timely data for monitoring applications.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column details are unavailable across all sources.
• The dataset is described as using 'less than optimal' inputs and calibration for its quicklook products.
• Primarily useful at night to avoid solar contamination, limiting its diurnal coverage.

Provenance

Source

NASA Ocean Biology DAAC (OB_DAAC), from the Terra MODIS satellite sensor.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing retrieval from mid-wave IR bands (∼3.7–4.1 µm).

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-04-09 according to two platform entries.

Geography

Regional coverage (specific regions not defined), likely global ocean areas observed by Terra MODIS.