System Design Considerations for the Retrieval of Sea Surface Temperatures in the NPOESS Era

Abstract

Abstract The National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) requires improved accuracy in the retrieval of sea surface skin temperature (SSTS) from its Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor over the capability to retrieve bulk sea surface temperature (SSTB) that has been demonstrated with currently operational National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites carrying the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor. Statistics show an existing capability to retrieve SSTB with a 1σ accuracy of about 0.8 K in the daytime and 0.6 K with nighttime data. During the NPOESS era, a minimum 1σ SSTS measurement uncertainty of 0.5 K is required during daytime and nighttime conditions, while 0.1 K is desired. Simulations have been performed, using PACEOS™ scene generation software and the multichannel sea surface temperature (MCSST) algorithms developed by NOAA, to better understand the implications of this more stringent requirement on algori...