Operational Processing of Satellite Sea Surface Temperature Retrievals at the Naval Oceanographic Office

Abstract

A complete overview of the national Shared Processing Program (SPP) satellite sea surface temperature (SST) retrieval product is presented. This paper summarizes the operational processing of digital Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite data into a global SST retrieval product at the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO). Satellite SST generation is described, detailing data processing procedures, algorithms used, and quality control techniques. User interaction and data monitoring through the SPP algorithm research panel for SST is presented along with SST products and information available to users. The NAVOCEANO national SST product consists of more than 150 000 global retrievals per day and demonstrates monthly bias errors less than 0.1°C and root-mean-square difference errors less than 0.6°C relative to global drifting-buoy measurements. The product is important to and operationally utilized within thermal structure analyses, civilian and military maritime activities, and numerical weather prediction forecasts.