Evaluation of AATSR and TMI Satellite SST Data
Open accessAbstract
The purpose of this paper is to investigate two satellite instruments for SST: the infrared (IR) Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) and the microwave (MW) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI). Because of its dual view, AATSR has a potential for lower biases than other IR products such as the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), while the tropical TMI record was available for a longer period of time than the global MW instrument, the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR). The results show that the AATSR IR retrievals are good quality with biases lower than or as low as other satellite retrievals between 50°S and 50°N. Furthermore, the dual-view algorithm reduces the influence of aerosol contamination. However, the AATSR coverage is roughly half that of AVHRR. North of 50°N there appear to be biases and high variability in summer daytime retrievals, with smaller but consistent biases observed below 50°S. TMI data can significantly improve coverage offshore in regions where IR retrievals are reduced by cloud cover. However, TMI data have small-scale biases from land contamination that should be removed by modifying the land–sea mask to remove more coastal regions.
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Dust events not flagged as cloud can cause an artificial timescale in the SSTA correlation, which then appears as short-term SSTA persistence.
“Where dust events are not flagged as cloud in the retrieval, they tend to bias the retrieved SST cold2,61,62 and can cause an artificial timescale in the SSTA correlation, which then appears as short-term SSTA persistence.”
From Tendencies, variability and persistence of sea surface temperature anomalies (2020) · cites this paper as [62]
Section 3 (Data comparisons; page unavailable) reports that Saharan dust aerosols may bias infrared SST retrievals cold, with negative biases observed in AVHRR data. It does not establish that dust events escape cloud flagging or that they create an artificial timescale in SSTA correlations or apparent short-term persistence. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThis short-term SSTA persistence in the equatorial Atlantic west of Africa is an artefact of the SST data, where the retrieval is not robust to high concentrations of desert dust.
“This is an artefact of the SST data, where the retrieval is not robust to high concentrations of desert dust.”
From Tendencies, variability and persistence of sea surface temperature anomalies (2020) · cites this paper as [62]
Section 3 (page unavailable) reports that Saharan dust aerosols may cause cold biases in infrared SST retrievals in the tropical Atlantic, supporting the concern about dust-sensitive data. It does not identify the cited short-term SSTA persistence as an artefact, and it says microwave retrievals are unaffected by aerosols while AATSR can compensate for them. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredWhere dust events are not flagged as cloud in the retrieval, they tend to bias the retrieved SST cold.
“Where dust events are not flagged as cloud in the retrieval, they tend to bias the retrieved SST cold2,61,62 and can cause an artificial timescale in the SSTA correlation, which then appears as short-term SSTA persistence.”
From Tendencies, variability and persistence of sea surface temperature anomalies (2020) · cites this paper as [62]
Section 3, “Data comparisons,” says Saharan dust aerosols may bias infrared SST retrievals cold and shows negative biases in AVHRR retrievals. It does not establish the claim’s condition that dust events were not flagged as cloud; it also notes that AATSR can compensate for aerosols and may instead show a small warm bias. The cited claim here is the cold-bias clause, not the sentence’s separate assertion about SSTA persistence. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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- Authors
- Reynolds, R. W., Gentemann, C. L., & Corlett, G. K.
- Affiliations
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)
- Remote Sensing Systems (United States) (US)
- University of Leicester (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Reynolds, Richard W.
- Venue
- Journal of Climate
- Publisher
- American Meteorological Society
- Published
- 2010-01-01
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 152-165
- ISSN
- 0894-8755 (ISSN-L)
- 1520-0442
- OpenAlex
- W2000359037
- Cited by
- 49
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 10.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Climate (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Calibration and Measurement Techniques
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate variability and models
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
- Keywords
- sea surface temperature, AATSR, TRMM Microwave Imager, aerosol contamination, land contamination, land-sea mask, cloud cover, AVHRR, AMSR
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