13 Sea Surface Temperature Measurements from Thermal Infrared Satellite
219
Applications have demonstrated positive impact in ocean and atmospheric forecasting systems and a new generation of data products and services to serve these and
other users have been built and are operated on a day-to-day basis. The success of
GHRSST stems from the Agencies and Offices that have supported the activities
of the Pilot Project allowing a dedicated group of scientists and operational entities
to successfully work together and bridge the gap between operations and science.
All good operational systems are underpinned by excellent science and GHRSST
has endeavoured to provide a forum in which operational systems and scientists
can meet and discuss problems and solutions to address the real-world challenges
associated with the application of high-resolution SST data sets.
13.5 Conclusion and Future Outlook
The future outlook for TIR sensors is very good. Over the last decade there have
been many successes in terms of the TIR instruments that are flying in polar and
geostationary orbits. Some systems are in the process of transitioning from research
to operational systems (e.g. AATSR mobbing to the SLSTR on Sentinel-3). The
accuracy of TIR retrievals from space is in some cases better than 0.2 K when using
a dual view along track scanning approach. Accuracy of SST from geostationary
TIR systems is less than this but still extremely useful especially when bias adjusted
using other satellite or in-situ data.
Challenges remain for improved quality of SST products derived from TIR
satellite data. These include better cloud clearing, better treatment of atmospheric
aerosols that contaminate TIR data, better techniques for SST retrieval and better
retrieval algorithms in the polar atmosphere. Better uncertainty estimates for SST
data products derived from TIR data are essential and must be continually refined
and updated based on the best tools and techniques.
The activities within the SST community over the last decade have transformed
the measurement of SST using a complementary satellites and in-situ measurements
working in synergy together. The establishment of a GHRSST framework for the
exchange and management of international SST data has been successfully implemented and is operating on a daily basis. A thriving user community has developed
in which integrated SST data sets are being used at scientific institution and operational agencies. Tools and data services have been developed and implemented
to serve this user community. Through the activities of GHRSST many lessons
have been learned that provide the basis for an optimal configuration for the SST
observing system in the next 10 years.
The major challenges focus on augmenting and maintaining high quality SST
measurements from both in-situ and satellite instruments, maintaining and developing the scientific and operational SST community, providing robust and sustained
methods and tools that provide uncertainty and error estimates in a format that is
easy to use by users and developing and maintaining an SST data stewardship and
reanalysis program that is able to tackle the development and validation of SST
climate data records.
219
Applications have demonstrated positive impact in ocean and atmospheric forecasting systems and a new generation of data products and services to serve these and
other users have been built and are operated on a day-to-day basis. The success of
GHRSST stems from the Agencies and Offices that have supported the activities
of the Pilot Project allowing a dedicated group of scientists and operational entities
to successfully work together and bridge the gap between operations and science.
All good operational systems are underpinned by excellent science and GHRSST
has endeavoured to provide a forum in which operational systems and scientists
can meet and discuss problems and solutions to address the real-world challenges
associated with the application of high-resolution SST data sets.
13.5 Conclusion and Future Outlook
The future outlook for TIR sensors is very good. Over the last decade there have
been many successes in terms of the TIR instruments that are flying in polar and
geostationary orbits. Some systems are in the process of transitioning from research
to operational systems (e.g. AATSR mobbing to the SLSTR on Sentinel-3). The
accuracy of TIR retrievals from space is in some cases better than 0.2 K when using
a dual view along track scanning approach. Accuracy of SST from geostationary
TIR systems is less than this but still extremely useful especially when bias adjusted
using other satellite or in-situ data.
Challenges remain for improved quality of SST products derived from TIR
satellite data. These include better cloud clearing, better treatment of atmospheric
aerosols that contaminate TIR data, better techniques for SST retrieval and better
retrieval algorithms in the polar atmosphere. Better uncertainty estimates for SST
data products derived from TIR data are essential and must be continually refined
and updated based on the best tools and techniques.
The activities within the SST community over the last decade have transformed
the measurement of SST using a complementary satellites and in-situ measurements
working in synergy together. The establishment of a GHRSST framework for the
exchange and management of international SST data has been successfully implemented and is operating on a daily basis. A thriving user community has developed
in which integrated SST data sets are being used at scientific institution and operational agencies. Tools and data services have been developed and implemented
to serve this user community. Through the activities of GHRSST many lessons
have been learned that provide the basis for an optimal configuration for the SST
observing system in the next 10 years.
The major challenges focus on augmenting and maintaining high quality SST
measurements from both in-situ and satellite instruments, maintaining and developing the scientific and operational SST community, providing robust and sustained
methods and tools that provide uncertainty and error estimates in a format that is
easy to use by users and developing and maintaining an SST data stewardship and
reanalysis program that is able to tackle the development and validation of SST
climate data records.