250
H.M. Beggs
• Level 1 (L1): Geolocated radiances (brightness temperatures) from individual
sensors
• Level 2 (L2): Geolocated sea surface temperatures from individual satellite
sensors over a single swath (orbit)
• Level 3 (L3): Composite, gridded, SST products created by averaging (but not
interpolating) L2 data over space and time (may be produced from a single sensor
or multiple sensors over a single orbit to several days)
• Level 4 (L4): Gridded, gap-free, SST analyses created by interpolating multiple
observation sources
• Dynamically consistent SST outputs from ocean global circulation models that
assimilate satellite SST observations at levels 2, 3 or 4
The following Section 15.2 describes a new format for level 2 satellite SST products developed by the Group for High-Resolution SST (GHRSST) and now used in
various operational systems. Sections 15.3 and 15.4 summarise several operational
level 3 (composite) and level 4 (analysis) products using IR SST data streams as
inputs. Sections 15.5, 15.6, 15.7, 15.8 and 15.9 provide an overview of each of the
types of operational systems currently using satellite IR SST level 2, 3 or 4 products,
how the infrared SST products are used in each system and their particular requirements. Section 15.10 summarises goal requirements for remotely sensed infrared
SST from a review of the latest conference proceedings and scientific literature.
Section 15.11 presents recommendations from both IR SST product producers and
users for future developments in TIR observations and processing that will benefit
operational systems.
15.2 GHRSST Level 2 SST Products
In 2000, the GODAE High-Resolution SST Pilot Project (GHRSST-PP: Donlon
et al., 2007), was initiated to develop and demonstrate a system that could deliver
high-resolution, global-coverage SST data products operationally in near-real time
according to GODAE specifications. GHRSST-PP (now the Group for HighResolution SST – GHRSST 1 ) provides two major types of near-real-time SST
products (L2 pre-processing and L4 analysis products). GHRSST-L2P products
are baseline measurement data sets. SST data generated from different sensors are
made available to users in a common, self-describing format (netCDF) together with
ancillary information to assist with their interpretation and use by data assimilation
systems (Donlon et al., 2009b). For every level 2 file of input data, GHRSST produces a matching “L2P” (level 2 pre-processed) product (listed in Table 15.1) that
contains identical SST values in the same geographical layout as those in the source
L2 product.
1 http://www.ghrsst.org
H.M. Beggs
• Level 1 (L1): Geolocated radiances (brightness temperatures) from individual
sensors
• Level 2 (L2): Geolocated sea surface temperatures from individual satellite
sensors over a single swath (orbit)
• Level 3 (L3): Composite, gridded, SST products created by averaging (but not
interpolating) L2 data over space and time (may be produced from a single sensor
or multiple sensors over a single orbit to several days)
• Level 4 (L4): Gridded, gap-free, SST analyses created by interpolating multiple
observation sources
• Dynamically consistent SST outputs from ocean global circulation models that
assimilate satellite SST observations at levels 2, 3 or 4
The following Section 15.2 describes a new format for level 2 satellite SST products developed by the Group for High-Resolution SST (GHRSST) and now used in
various operational systems. Sections 15.3 and 15.4 summarise several operational
level 3 (composite) and level 4 (analysis) products using IR SST data streams as
inputs. Sections 15.5, 15.6, 15.7, 15.8 and 15.9 provide an overview of each of the
types of operational systems currently using satellite IR SST level 2, 3 or 4 products,
how the infrared SST products are used in each system and their particular requirements. Section 15.10 summarises goal requirements for remotely sensed infrared
SST from a review of the latest conference proceedings and scientific literature.
Section 15.11 presents recommendations from both IR SST product producers and
users for future developments in TIR observations and processing that will benefit
operational systems.
15.2 GHRSST Level 2 SST Products
In 2000, the GODAE High-Resolution SST Pilot Project (GHRSST-PP: Donlon
et al., 2007), was initiated to develop and demonstrate a system that could deliver
high-resolution, global-coverage SST data products operationally in near-real time
according to GODAE specifications. GHRSST-PP (now the Group for HighResolution SST – GHRSST 1 ) provides two major types of near-real-time SST
products (L2 pre-processing and L4 analysis products). GHRSST-L2P products
are baseline measurement data sets. SST data generated from different sensors are
made available to users in a common, self-describing format (netCDF) together with
ancillary information to assist with their interpretation and use by data assimilation
systems (Donlon et al., 2009b). For every level 2 file of input data, GHRSST produces a matching “L2P” (level 2 pre-processed) product (listed in Table 15.1) that
contains identical SST values in the same geographical layout as those in the source
L2 product.
1 http://www.ghrsst.org