21-year (2000 through 2020) archive of daily satellite SST and SSH products in animation format

A 21-year database (2000 through 2020) of daily sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height (SSH) image products, in the QuickTime mov animation format, was included in this submission. The data domain covered the entire Gulf of Mexico. The SST (represented in color) was derived using GOES night-time SST composites, and the SSH (represented in black contour lines with labels in cm) was derived from all available satellite altimetric data of the time and overlapped with SST in (1) gridded/contoured SSH (2000 through 2020) and (2) along-track SSH (2018 through 2020). The animations were used to detect and analyze Loop Current frontal eddy merging events that preceded Loop Current Eddy detachments and separations.