NASA SPoRT’s Sea Surface Temperature Composite Product: Status and Applications

In 2007, the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center developed a sea surface temperature (SST) composite product derived from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The SPoRT MODIS SST was originally developed to provide a robust high-resolution SST product for use in short-term weather forecasting and for assimilation into regional forecast models. Daytime and nighttime composites from both Terra and Aqua were derived to produce a total of four daily composites. The four sets of satellite overpasses were composited separately to retain diurnal changes in SST that occurred between the orbit times. A time compositing approach was used to increase the spatial coverage since polar-orbiting satellites do not provide the desired spatial coverage and to reduce impacts of cloud cover. The SPoRT MODIS SST algorithm was designed to derive detailed and spatially continuous SST observations while minimizing cloud contamination and latency effects and has been used by a broad user base across government agencies, universities, and private companies. Today the SPoRT SST is derived using an enhanced approach where Aqua MODIS and SNPP VIIRS are composited over a 7 day period and blended with the most recent NESDIS and OSTIA global SST products. A weighted approach to latency and resolution is incorporated to give the most weight to high resolution MODIS and VIIRS observations. The SPoRT SST Composite product is computed twice-daily (0000-1159 UTC and 1200-2359 UTC) and is used by forecasters in the National Weather Service, available in NOAA nowCOAST for maritime users, and used by private companies for data assimilation into weather models. This presentation highlights the SPoRT SST composite product, stakeholder applications over the past 15 years, and preliminary work to update the product to include the NASA/NOAA JPSS Series of satellites in the post EOS Aqua and Terra era.