Terra MODIS SST4: Near Real-Time Sea Surface Temperature

SST4 provides sea surface temperature retrieved from mid-wave infrared bands near 4 µm. This near real-time product offers reduced sensitivity to atmospheric water vapor compared to long-wave methods, making it a valuable complement for monitoring tropical or humid ocean conditions. The data provides a snapshot from a single satellite orbit, processed with the best-available ancillary meteorological and ozone data at the time.

Use Cases

• Monitoring tropical ocean heat content based on the 4 µm sea surface temperature (sst4) variable.
• Assessing data quality for operational forecasts using the integer quality flag (qual_sst4).
• Studying diurnal temperature cycles by comparing night-time SST4 data with daytime products.

Strengths

• Provides near real-time data, offering timely snapshots of ocean conditions.
• The SST4 retrieval method offers reduced sensitivity to atmospheric water vapor, which is advantageous in humid conditions.

Limitations

• The inputs and calibration used are described as 'less than optimal' as they rely on the best-available ancillary data at processing time.
• Metadata for row count, size, and specific license details are conflicting or missing across platforms.
• Data represents a snapshot from a single orbit rather than a long-term, optimally calibrated composite.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ocean Biology DAAC

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the Terra MODIS instrument.

Freshness

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

Geography

Global