Sea Surface Temperature (SST) images are derived from data collected by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), which is flown on the Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites operated by NOAA. Currently, NOAA-16 and NOAA-17 satellites are operational. Both satellites carry identical AVHRR instruments and offer greater spatial coverage due to different overflight times. The AVHRR collects data from five spectral channels (in the visible, near-infrared and thermal infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum) and a standard multi-channel algorithm is applied to the data to derive SST.
Global Images are created from the Naval Oceanographic Office Multi-Channel SST (NAVOCEANO MCSST) Level 2 data products. An MCSST data file is produced by NAVOCEANO after one complete orbit (approximatley 90 mins) and the resulting file is pushed to PO.DAAC about 90 minutes after the last data in the orbit are acquired. At PO.DAAC, we automatically create SST, SST Anomaly (SST - climatological mean SST) and AVHHR Brightness Temperature browse images. These images are binned and averaged on a 0.5 degree global grid, and smoothed and interpolated using a Gaussian-type filter. In addition we merge data for different time periods, relative to the most recent data, in order to improve the spatial data coverage. At the end of each day we also create daily merged browse images to provide a short-term historical (16 week) record.
Regional Images are produced from the NAVOCEANO MCSST Level 2 HRPT/LAC (High Resolution Picture Transmission and Local Area Coverage) data product. The images are created for only a few selected coastal regions and at a resolution of 3 km. |
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