An SST Satellite Match-up System

Satellite Sea Surface Temperature (SST) retrieval has been available for nearly three decades and is important in many scientific applications. A rigorous and routine validation process is essential in assuring that the resulting SST products are useful. An automated SST-buoy match-up database system is one component of the validation process. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed an automated match-up system which has been operational for a number of years. This match-up system currently utilizes Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data and is expected to be updated to include the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) SST data as well as be adapted to future satellite systems. This paper describes how the NOAA/NESDIS automated match-up system may be used to test and analyze AVHRR data as a proxy for future satellite systems.