A MODIS Sea Surface Temperature Composite for Regional Applications

Sea surface temperature (SST) is an important input for regional and global weather modeling, but timely high- resolution SST data from either in situ or satellite sources are limited. A regional near-real-time aqua moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) 1-km-resolution SST composite has been developed by the NASA Short-term Prediction and Research Transition (SPoRT) program to provide continuous high-resolution SST fields twice daily for regional weather applications. The SPoRT Aqua MODIS SST composite is inter- compared to both half-degree-resolution real-time global (RTG) SST analysis and a 6-km-resolution geostationary operational environmental satellite 12 (GOES) Imager SST analysis and validated against buoy data for the month of May 2004. The SPoRT MODIS composite provides more accurate and detailed spatial information than the RTG-SST or GOES products during this period. Compared to limited buoy data, the daytime MODIS composites for May 2004 were found to have an average cool bias of -0.09degC, and the nighttime composites an average cool bias of -0.29degC, with both day and night composites having correlation values of approximately 0.90. A comparison of the MODIS SST composite to the more recent and higher resolution 12th-degree RTG-SST analysis and the 20th-degree resolution operational sea surface temperature and sea ice analysis indicated that the SPoRT MODIS composite provides additional spatial and diurnal cycle information on a regional scale.