Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

ERA-40-aided assessment of the atmospheric influence on satellite retrieval of Adriatic Sea surface temperature

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this work is assessment of regional atmospheric influence on satellite derivation of Adriatic Sea surface temperature (SST). To this end the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) ERA-40 reanalysis dataset has been employed to provide the temperature and humidity profiles and surface data, while the RTTOV 8.7 radiative transfer model was used to calculate the top-of-atmosphere brightness temperatures for the advanced very high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) channels. Ten ERA-40 grid points over the Adriatic Sea were used in the analysis, providing 29,590, 00 UTC and 12 UTC, clear-sky profiles. Climatological analysis of the ERA-40 profiles demonstrated distinct seasonal variability over the Adriatic Sea. Seasonality noted in the temperature and specific humidity profiles also evinced in the atmospheric transmittance, thermal channels temperature deficit, and derived γ and ρ parameters. A multivariate analysis was applied to relate the simulated top-of-atmosphere brightness temperatures to the Adriatic SSTs in order to generate exploratory sets of SST retrieval coefficients. All derived coefficient sets exhibited smaller noise amplification factor than the global counterpart. A test comparison of satellite-derived SST with an 11-month in situ SST series showed than locally derived coefficients provide smaller scatter (improved precision), and skin-centred bias that requires additional adjustment. Almost identical SST residual and error metric was obtained with seasonally adjusted classical split-window coefficients and with coefficients explicitly accommodating water-vapor dependence. Comparison with data reinforces the notion that the atmosphere over the Adriatic may exhibit variability that cannot be fully accommodated by globally adjusted correction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anding D, Kauth R (1970) Estimation of sea surface from space. Remote Sense Environ 1:217–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arbelo M, Hernandez-Leal P, Diaz JP, Exposito FJ, Herrera F (2000) Efficiency of a global algorithm for retrieving SST from satellite data in a subtropical region. Adv Space Res 25:1041–1044

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beljaars ACM (1998) Air–sea interaction in the ECMWF model. Seminar on atmosphere–surface interaction, 8–12 September 1997, pp 33–52

  • Bordes P, Brunel P, Marsouin A (1992) Automatic adjustment of AVHRR navigation. J Atmos Ocean Technol 9:15–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brunel P, Marsouin A (2000) Operational AVHRR navigation results. Int J Remote Sens 21:951–972

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chevallier F (2001) Sampled databases of 60-level atmospheric profiles from the ECMWF analyses. EUMETSAT/ECMWF SAF programme research report no 4, 27 pp

  • Dechamps PY, Phulpin T (1980) Atmospheric correction of infrared measurements of sea surface temperature using channels at 3.7, 11 and 12 μm. Bound Layer Meteor 18:131–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donlon CJ, Robinson IS (1998) Radiometric validation oif ETS-1 along-track scanning radiometer average sea surface temperature in the Atlantic Ocean. J Atmos Ocean Technol 15:647–660

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eugenio F, Marcello J, Hernandez-Guerra A, Rovaris E (2005) Regional optimization of an atmospheric correction algorithm for the retrieval of sea surface temperature from the Canary Islands–Azores–Gibraltar area using NOAA/AVHRR data. Int J Remote Sens 26:1799–1814

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eyre JR (1987) On systematic errors in satellite sounding products and their climatological mean values. Q J R Meteorol Soc 113:279–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eyre JR (1991) A fast radiative transfer model for satellite sounding systems. ECMWF Research Dept Tech Memo 176, ECMWF, 28 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Eyre JR, Woolf HM (1988) Transmittance of atmospheric gases in the microwave region: a fast model. Appl Opt 27:3244–3249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kilpatrick KA, Podesta GP, Evans R (2001) Overview of the NOAA/NASA advanced very high resolution radiometer Pathfinder algorithm for sea surface temperature and associated matchup data base. J Geophys Res 106(C5):9179–9197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klaes D (1997) The EUMETSAT ATOVS and AVHRR processing package (AAPP). In: Proceedings of the 1997 meteorological satellite data users’ conference, Brussels, Belgium, 29 September–3 October 1997, Proceedings EUM P 21

  • Kleespies TJ, McMillin LM (1990) Retrieval of precipitable water from observations in the split window over varying surface temperatures. J Appl Metorol 29:851–862

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Masuda K, Takashima T, Takayama Y (1988) Emissivity of pure and sea waters for the model sea surface in the infrared window region. Remote Sense Environ 24:313–329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMillin LM (1975) Estimation of sea surface temperatures from two infrared window measurements with different absorption. J Geophys Res 80:5113–5117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMillin LM, Fleming HE (1976) Atmospheric transmittance of an absorbing gas: a computationally fast and accurate transmittance model for absorbing gases with constant mixing ratios in inhomogeneous atmospheres. Appl Opt 15:358–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merchant CJ, Filipiak MJ, LeBorgne P, Roquet H, Autret E, Piolle J-F, Lavender S (2008) Diurnal warm-layer events in the western Mediterranean and European shelf seas. Geophys Res Lett 35. doi:10.1029/2007GL033071

  • Merchant CJ, Le Borge P (2004) Retrieval of sea surface temperature from space, based on modelling of infrared radiative transfer: capabilities and limitations. J Atmos Oceanic Tech 21:1734–1746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merchant CJ, Horrocks LA, Eyre JR, O’Caroll AG (2006) Retrievals of sea surface temperature from infrared imagery: origin and form of systematic errors. Q J R Meteorol Soc 132:1205–1223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minnett PJ (1986) A numerical study of the effects of anomalous North Atlantic atmospheric conditions on the infrared measurements of sea surface temperature from space. J Geophys Res 91:8509–8521

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minnett PJ (1990) The regional optimization of infrared measurements of sea surface temperature. J Geophys Res 95:13,497–13,510

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray MJ, Allen MR, Merchant CJ, Harris AR, Donlon CJ (2000) Direct observations of skin-bulk variability. Geophys Res Lett 27:1171–1174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Carroll AG, Watts JG, Horrocks LA, Saunders RW, Rayner NA (2006) Validation of the AATSR meteo product sea surface temperature. J Atmos Oceanic Tech 23:711–726

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pearce AF, Prata AJ, Manning CR (1989) Comparison of NOAA/AVHRR-2 sea surface temperature with surface measurements in coastal waters. Int J Remote Sens 10:37–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Persson A, Grazzini (2007) User Guide to ECMWF forecast products. Meteorological Bulletin M3.2, ECMWF, 161 pp

  • Rayer PJ (1995) Fast transmittance model for satellite sounding. Appl Opt 34:7387–7394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saunders R and Brunel P (2005) RTTOV_8_7 users guide. EUMETSAT NWP SAF, NWPSAF-MO-UD-008, 45 pp

  • Saunders R with Contributors (2005) RTTOV-8 science and validation report. NWPSAF-MO-TV-007, 46 pp

  • Schluessel P, Shin H-Y, Emery WJ, Grassl H (1987) Comparison of satellite-derived sea surface temperatures with in situ skin measurements. J Geophys Res 92:2859–2874

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shenoi SC (1999) On the suitability of global algorithms for the retrieval of SST from the north Indian Ocean using NOAA/AVHRR data. Int J Remote Sens 20:11–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherlock V (1999) ISEM-6: Infrared surface emissivity model for RTTOV-6. NWP SAF report, 16 pp

  • Strong AE, McClain EP (1984) Improved ocean temperatures from space—comparison with drifting buoys. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 65:138–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanre D, Holben BN, Kaufman Y (1992) Atmospheric correction algorithm for NOAA-AVHRR products: theory and application. IEEE Trans Geosci Remote Sens 30:231–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trishchenko AP, Fedosejeva G, Li Z, and Cihlar J (2002) Trends and uncertainties in thermal calibration onboard NOAA-9 to NOAA-16. J Geophys Res 107D. doi:10.1029/2002JD002353

  • Tomažić I (2006) Validation of remotely sensed Adriatic Sea surface temperature. MSc thesis, University of Zagreb, 170 pp

  • Uppala SM, 45 Co-authors (2005) The ERA-40 re-analysis. Q J R Meteorol Soc 131:2961–3012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zavody AM, Mutlow CT, Llewellyn-Jones DT (1995) A radiative transfer model for sea surface temperature retrieval for the along-track scanning radiometer. J Geophys Res 100:937–952

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H-M, Reynolds RW, Smith TM (2004) Bias characteristics in the AVHRR sea surface temperature. Geophys Res Lett 31:L01307. doi:10.1029/2003GL018804

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports through research grant 098-0982705-2707. The ECMWF kindly allowed access to their ERA-40 data. Dr. John Sapper provided the NOAA/NESDIS global coefficients. The authors are grateful to INAgip and Croatian Hydrographical Institute for making available the SST data collected at the Ivana-A platform. Two reviewers provided constructive and insightful comments that greatly improved the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10002, Zagreb, Croatia

    Igor Tomažić & Milivoj Kuzmić

Authors
  1. Igor Tomažić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Milivoj Kuzmić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Milivoj Kuzmić.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tomažić, I., Kuzmić, M. ERA-40-aided assessment of the atmospheric influence on satellite retrieval of Adriatic Sea surface temperature. Meteorol Atmos Phys 104, 37–51 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-008-0015-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-008-0015-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation