Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST) v2.1, 1981-Present

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 1/4° daily Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (or daily OISST) (1981-Present) is an analysis constructed by combining observations from different platforms (satellites, ships, buoys and Argo floats) on a regular global grid. A spatially complete Sea Surface Temperature (SST) map is produced by interpolating to fill in gaps. The methodology includes bias adjustment of satellite and ship observations (referenced to buoys) to compensate for platform differences and sensor biases. This proved critical during the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991, when the widespread presence of volcanic aerosols resulted in infrared satellite temperatures that were much cooler than actual ocean temperatures (Reynolds 1993). Starting from April 1, 2020, National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) released a new version, OISST v2.1, to replace OISST v2. OISST v2 had been stopped on April 26, 2020 due to unavailable input data to it.