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NOAA 1/4-degree Daily Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST) Analysis from AVHRR and AMSR, Version 2

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: April 12, 2026 at 09:26 PM | Dataset Last Updated: November 12, 2008 at 12:00 AM
This high-resolution sea surface temperature (SST) analysis product was developed using an optimum interpolation (OI) technique. The SST analysis has a spatial grid resolution of 0.25 (1/4) degree and temporal resolution of 1 day. The product uses Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) infrared satellite data from the Pathfinder AVHRR SST dataset and additional microwave satellite data from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer on the EOS platform (AMSR-E), which was available from 2002 to 2011. AMSR-E data has a spatial resolution of ~25 km, while AVHRR data has a spatial resolution of ~4 km. AMSR-E can observe SST through cloud cover, resulting in significantly better spatial coverage. AVHRR data is needed in part because AMSR-E does not provide reliable SSTs along coastal regions due to its coarser spatial resolution. Thus, with AVHRR+AMSR, the observations near land come from AVHRR, while AMSR-E has superior spatial coverage over the open ocean. Because of AMSR-E’s almost all-weather capability, the AVHRR+AMSR version provides more accurate information in persistently cloudy areas and during hurricanes and storms. However, even in cloud-free regions, the combined use of infrared and microwave data reduces systematic biases due to the independent error characteristics of the two sensors. The AVHRR+AMSR SST production ended in Oct 2011 when the AMSR-E antenna failed.

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  • NCEI Dataset Landing Page

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  • NCEI Direct Download (Dataset Files)

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  • NCEI THREDDS

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  • NCEI Dataset Landing Page for the Current Version

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  • NCEI landing page for the related AVHRR-Only Version 2

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  • Journal article published November 2007 by the American Meteorological Society

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Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:ncei.info@noaa.gov"
}
describedByType application/octet-steam
description This high-resolution sea surface temperature (SST) analysis product was developed using an optimum interpolation (OI) technique. The SST analysis has a spatial grid resolution of 0.25 (1/4) degree and temporal resolution of 1 day. The product uses Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) infrared satellite data from the Pathfinder AVHRR SST dataset and additional microwave satellite data from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer on the EOS platform (AMSR-E), which was available from 2002 to 2011. AMSR-E data has a spatial resolution of ~25 km, while AVHRR data has a spatial resolution of ~4 km. AMSR-E can observe SST through cloud cover, resulting in significantly better spatial coverage. AVHRR data is needed in part because AMSR-E does not provide reliable SSTs along coastal regions due to its coarser spatial resolution. Thus, with AVHRR+AMSR, the observations near land come from AVHRR, while AMSR-E has superior spatial coverage over the open ocean. Because of AMSR-E’s almost all-weather capability, the AVHRR+AMSR version provides more accurate information in persistently cloudy areas and during hurricanes and storms. However, even in cloud-free regions, the combined use of infrared and microwave data reduces systematic biases due to the independent error characteristics of the two sensors. The AVHRR+AMSR SST production ended in Oct 2011 when the AMSR-E antenna failed.
distribution 
                                            [
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    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.7289/V5SQ8XB5",
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    "description": "Reynolds, R. W., T. M. Smith, C. Liu, D. B. Chelton, K. S. Casey, and M. G. Schlax, 2007: Daily High-Resolution-Blended Analyses for Sea Surface Temperature. Journal of Climate, 20, 5473–5496, doi:10.1175/2007jcli1824.1.",
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    "description": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2023. GCMD Keywords, Version 17. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords",
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identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/aim/iso/xml/C01634.xml
issued 2008-11-12T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
  "Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature",
  "Oceanic - Surface - Sea-surface Temperature",
  "Satellite",
  "Geographic Region > Global Ocean",
  "Vertical Location > Sea Surface",
  "AVHRR > Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer",
  "AMSR-E > Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS",
  "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC > National Climatic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "Earth Observation Satellites > Aqua",
  "Space-based Platforms > Earth Observation Satellites > Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES) > NOAA POES"
]
language 
                                            []
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2008-11-12T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
                                            [
  "https://doi.org/10.25921/RE9P-PT57",
  "https://doi.org/10.7289/V5SQ8XB5",
  "https://doi.org/10.1175/2007JCLI1824.1"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial 180.0,-90.0,-180.0,90.0
temporal 2002-06-01T00:00:00+00:00/2011-10-04T00:00:00+00:00
title NOAA 1/4-degree Daily Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST) Analysis from AVHRR and AMSR, Version 2

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