A quasi-physical sea surface temperature method for the split-window data from the Second-generation Global Imager (SGLI) onboard the Global Change Observation Mission-Climate (GCOM-C) satellite

• Published in: Remote sensing of environment 2021-05, Vol.257, p.112347, Article 112347
• Main Authors: Kurihara, Yukio, Murakami, Hiroshi, Ogata, Kazunori, Kachi, Misako
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AHI; Atmospheric correction; Bias; Buoy data; Climate change; GCOM-C; Himawari; Q-method; Robustness (mathematics); Satellite observation; Satellites; Sea surface temperature; SGLI; SST; Surface temperature
• ISSN: 0034-4257; 1879-0704
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2021.112347

This paper describes a quasi-physical method (the Q-method) for determining the sea surface temperatures (SSTs). The Q-method is a coefficient-based technique developed for processing the multiband infrared (IR) data of the geostationary Himawari-8 satellite. We applied the Q-method to the split-window data from the Second-generation Global Imager (SGLI) onboard the Global Change Observation Mission-Climate (GCOM-C) satellite. A comparison of the determined SGLI SSTs and buoy data shows a bias with a robust standard deviation of −0.097 K and 0.28 K in the daytime and −0.18 K and 0.28 K at night, respectively. Meanwhile, high biases of nearly −0.5 K were calculated for SSTs at and around 305 K. A residuals analysis suggests that the high negative bias is caused by insufficient information on the atmospheric correction brought by split-window data. This paper discusses the physical and mathematical background of the Q-method and compares it with another coefficient-based physical scheme. •Quasi-physical determination of sea surface temperature.•Physical and mathematical background of the quasi-physical determination.•Accuracy of quasi-physically determined sea surface temperature.•Result comparison with another coefficient-based physical scheme.•Physical background for the high bias.