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NOAA Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST), Version 6

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: April 12, 2026 at 09:28 PM | Dataset Last Updated: August 04, 2025 at 12:00 AM
The NOAA Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST) dataset is a global monthly sea surface temperature dataset derived from the International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Dataset (ICOADS). It is produced on a 2 x 2 degree grid with spatial completeness enhanced using statistical methods. This monthly analysis begins in January 1850 continuing to the present and includes anomalies computed with respect to a 1971-2000 monthly climatology. Version 6 (v6) is the newest version of ERSST. ERSSTv6 uses in situ ship, buoy, and Argo observations and reconstructed using an Artificial Neural Network method. The data are available in NetCDF and ASCII formats, with the same file convention of the previous version ERSSTv5. Major changes of ERSSTv6 from previous version ERSSTv5 include: (1) removing a 3-month running average, (2) using an interpolation method of an artificial neural network (ANN) instead of the Empirical Orthogonal Teleconnection (EOT) functions, 3) applying a nearest neighbor check (NNC) quality-control algorithm on ship observations, 4) applying a large-scale (>200 km) filter (LS200) on SST superobservations, and 5) upgrading algorithms in proxy SST from ice concentration using climatological SST and sea surface salinity instead of proxy SST of a constant freezing point of -1.8°C. SST anomalies (SSTAs) are in reference to 1991-2020 climatology, while 1971-2000 climatology was used in previous versions. Other features remain the same as in ERSSTv5. Other features remain same as in the previous ERSST version 5. The data are written to monthly netCDF files following CF Metadata Conventions.

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Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
accrualPeriodicity R/P1M
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:ncei.orders@noaa.gov"
}
describedByType application/octet-steam
description The NOAA Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST) dataset is a global monthly sea surface temperature dataset derived from the International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Dataset (ICOADS). It is produced on a 2 x 2 degree grid with spatial completeness enhanced using statistical methods. This monthly analysis begins in January 1850 continuing to the present and includes anomalies computed with respect to a 1971-2000 monthly climatology. Version 6 (v6) is the newest version of ERSST. ERSSTv6 uses in situ ship, buoy, and Argo observations and reconstructed using an Artificial Neural Network method. The data are available in NetCDF and ASCII formats, with the same file convention of the previous version ERSSTv5. Major changes of ERSSTv6 from previous version ERSSTv5 include: (1) removing a 3-month running average, (2) using an interpolation method of an artificial neural network (ANN) instead of the Empirical Orthogonal Teleconnection (EOT) functions, 3) applying a nearest neighbor check (NNC) quality-control algorithm on ship observations, 4) applying a large-scale (>200 km) filter (LS200) on SST superobservations, and 5) upgrading algorithms in proxy SST from ice concentration using climatological SST and sea surface salinity instead of proxy SST of a constant freezing point of -1.8°C. SST anomalies (SSTAs) are in reference to 1991-2020 climatology, while 1971-2000 climatology was used in previous versions. Other features remain the same as in ERSSTv5. Other features remain same as in the previous ERSST version 5. The data are written to monthly netCDF files following CF Metadata Conventions.
distribution 
                                            [
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    "title": "NCEI Dataset Landing Page",
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    "description": "Landing page for the dataset.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI Project Page",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/extended-reconstructed-sst",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Project page with dataset information.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "ERSST v6 Status Reports",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "Provides description of status and version changes.",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/sea-surface-temperature-extended-reconstructed/v6/doc/Readme.Status.Changes",
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  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI Direct Download",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/sea-surface-temperature-extended-reconstructed/v6/access/",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Direct download links for dataset files.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI THREDDS",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/thredds/marine-ocean/ersst.html",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "THREDDS Data Server (TDS) for the dataset.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI landing page for the Version 4 dataset",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.7289/V5KD1VVF",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
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    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
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    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.7289/V5Z31WJ4",
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    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Keywords",
    "accessURL": "https://earthdata.nasa.gov/about/gcmd/global-change-master-directory-gcmd-keywords",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
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    "description": "Overview of the GCOS Essential Climate Variables.",
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)",
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]
identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/aim/iso/xml/C01737.xml
issued 2025-08-04T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
  "Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature",
  "Oceanic - Surface - Sea-surface Temperature",
  "Geographic Region > Global Ocean",
  "Vertical Location > Sea Surface",
  "100 km - < 250 km or approximately 1 degree - <  2.5 degrees",
  "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"
]
language 
                                            []
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2025-08-04T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
                                            [
  "https://doi.org/10.7289/V5T72FNM",
  "https://doi.org/10.7289/V5KD1VVF",
  "https://doi.org/10.7289/V5Z31WJ4"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial 180.0,-90.0,-180.0,90.0
temporal 1850-01-01T00:00:00+00:00/1850-01-01T00:00:00+00:00
title NOAA Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST), Version 6

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