Sea Surface Temperature

The Sea Surface Temperature is from the real-time, high-resolution, Regional Australian Multi-Sensor Sea surface temperature Analysis (RAMSSA) system developed at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology as part of the BLUElink> Ocean Forecasting Australia project.

The pre-existing operational, 1/4° resolution,
regional SST analysis system (Smith et al., 1999)
has been modified to produce 1/12° resolution,
daily SST analyses over the Australian region
(20°N - 70°S, 60°E - 170°W). The high resolution
analysis system combines SST data
from infrared (AVHRR and AATSR) and
microwave (AMSR-E) sensors on polar-orbiting
satellites with in situ measurements to produce
daily “foundation” SST estimates (SSTfnd), largely free of nocturnal cooling and diurnal warming
effects.

The RAMSSA analyses are used in realtime
as the boundary condition for the Bureau’s
regional numerical weather prediction models
(ACCESS-R, ACCESS-A and ACCESS-C) and to validate the BLUElink> operational ocean model
(OceanMAPS) SST5m forecast/analyses.