The SST CCI team have completed generation of new data records for sea surface temperature (SST). Together with development of a prototype for climate data record production, these datasets are a major output from the project. This post summarises what we have generated, and what happens next.
Three categories of data have been produced. "Level 2" data are SSTs with the data organised as captured by the satellite. This is the sort of data we have generated mostly from AVHRR sensors as "L2P", a GHRSST level-2 format. "Level 3" data are SSTs that have been spatially averaged, in our case to the SST-CCI base resolution of 0.05 deg lat-lon resolution. This format has been used for most of our ATSR-series data, and is roughly equivalent in spatial resolution to the AVHRR L2P. "Level 4" data have been interpolated/extrapolated in time and space to give complete fields (even where cloud prevented any observations). In our case, the level-4 dataset is at 0.05 deg resolution and is daily. The interpolation method is the Met Office OSTIA system, improved within the project in resolution and interpolation assumptions. All of the above datasets span late 1991 to the end of 2010.
There are also demo products consistent with the approach outlined in a previous blog.
The team is currently completing a system/data verification activity and soon (assuming no major problems) the SST CCI data will be made publicly available, as part of a Climate Research Data Package. This CRDP will facilitate various climate analyses and comparisons by bringing together not only our new datasets, but a range of other data. The CRDP access will be supported by a Products User Guide (PUG), which will describe the new data on various levels, from a "quick start" guide to detailed contents. Availability will be announced in various ways, including this blog.
