1. Jeremy Fisher & John Mustard Geological Sciences - Brown University
High spatial resolution sea surface climatology from Landsat thermal infrared data
Jeremy Fisher & John Mustard
Geological Sciences - Brown University
November 2004

2. Scene
Location
Narragansett
Bay

3. Climatologies
A climatololgy – the annual cycle of sea surface temperature (SST)
Term not often associated with estuarine and near-coastal studies
In situ SST collection is either cross sectional or time series, rarely gridded
Thus, SST static in time, or compared across space with few points
This research provides a long term climatology to accurately fill the space between in situ sites (interpolation field)
Providence
Conimicut Pt.
Fall River
Quonset
Prudence
Newport

4. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer - Global Climatology
Climatology interpolated from 14 years of daily SST observations into single “average” yearly cycle
Data distillation
Degrees Celsius
Julian Date
Climatology
[ ]
PO.DAAC SST, JPL

5. A question of resolution..
AVHRR
Advanced Very High
Resolution Radiometer
A question of resolution..
Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM)
16 day repeat time (vs. daily)
Sparse coverage (vs. global)
High resolution
60 meter (Landsat 5)
120 meter (Landsat 7)
Landsat
Thematic
Mapper

6. Temperature / satellite observations
Collected 52 satellite thermal images
Landsat Thematic Mapper (4,5,&7) from 1984 to 2002
Use infrared to measure the temperature at the water surface
Surface and body temperatures are similar at this time of the day (10:00 AM EST)
Correct and validate temperatures against in situ sites

7. In Situ and Satellite Raw Temperatures

8. Validation

9. Climatology construction
12th order
Polynomial fit
Standard
Deviation
Anomalous
Data
Clouds
Temperature (Degrees C)
Calendar Day

10. Climatology construction
Minimum
temperature
Maximum
Date of Min
Date of Max

11. Maximum Temperature 15 24
Degrees C

12. Minimum Temperature -2 7
Degrees C

14. 30 C
Maximum temperature
18 C
Maximum day
200
240
Mt. Hope Bay anomaly:
Temperature is higher then
Expected

15. Conclusion Applications New process More information
Use as an interpolation field for existing in situ records
Anomaly detection (Mt. Hope Bay)
Prediction of eelgrass growth suitability
Circulation patterns and timing of transitions
Comparison of water bodies over broad spaces
New process
Patterns inferred, but not previously observed
New applications
More information
Fisher and Mustard, High spatial resolution sea surface climatology from Landsat thermal infrared data. Remote Sensing of Environment

18. Verification of Climatology Results
and minimum temperature
Satellite maximum
Date of Satellite maximum
and minimum temperature
Date of In situ maximum
and minimum temperature
In situ maximum
and minimum temperature