Terra MODIS NSST: Global Nighttime Sea Surface Temperature Estimates

Global nighttime sea surface temperature estimates derived from Terra MODIS satellite thermal infrared observations. The Ocean Biology DAAC produces this near real-time product using the best-available ancillary meteorological and ozone data. Nighttime SST is used to detect ocean fronts, support fisheries habitat models, and provide inputs for air-sea flux and climate analyses.

Use Cases

• Detect ocean fronts based on thermal gradients in sea surface temperature.
• Support fisheries habitat models based on pairing with chlorophyll-a, PAR, and Kd_490 data.
• Provide stable inputs for air-sea flux calculations based on nighttime SST measurements.
• Conduct climate trend analyses based on long-term satellite-derived temperature records.

Strengths

• Provides global spatial coverage of sea surface temperature.
• Focuses on nighttime observations to minimize diurnal warming and sun glint effects.
• Includes a quality flag variable (qual_sst) to aid data filtering.

Limitations

• Near real-time processing uses less-than-optimal ancillary data and calibration.
• Uncertainties increase under thin clouds, heavy aerosols, or strong thermal gradients.
• Column-level documentation and sample data are unavailable for detailed inspection.

Provenance

Source

OB_DAAC (Ocean Biology DAAC)

Collection Method

Derived from Terra MODIS satellite thermal infrared observations.

Freshness

Near real-time (NRT)

Geography

Global