Satellite-borne SST validation based on in-situ data during summer in the East China Sea and south of Ryukyu Islands

Abstract

The accuracy of the satellite-borne SST has been rarely verified against in-situ observations in the surrounding seas to Korean peninsula. In this study, satellite-borne SST from various sources such as TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E) and New Generation Sea Surface Temperature (NGSST) dataset is compared with in-situ observation data. In-situ observation data include the shipboard measurement (XBT and CTD) and Argo data. As a result, root-mean-square errors are 0.46˚C between microwave SST and XBT/CTD data mostly under the weak wind speed, and 0.7˚C between XBT/CTD measurement and NGSST data. The Microwave SST root-mean-square error less than 0.5˚C are potentially valuable data sources for the general applications. The change of the SST between before and after typhoon passing may imply for strength of the ocean mixing due to the upwelling and/or turbulent mixing driven by the typhoon. In fact, just after typhoon Nari passing in October, 2007, the satellite-borne SST reveals the significant SST drop around its track. Based upon the SST change, the ocean mixing, driven by typhoon Nari, was examined.