The Medspiration Project - An Introduction
Sea Surface Temperature
The temperature at the surface of the ocean is an important physical property that can be measured quite easily from Earth Observation satellites. SST has a strong influence on the exchange of heat, momentum, water and gases beteen the ocean and the atmosphere. Knowledge of the geographical distribution of SST and its variation with time is therefore essential for predicting the dynamical behaviour of the atmosphere and the ocean. SST is also an important indicator of climate and climate change, giving us a finger on the pulse of the planet itself.Satellite Measurements
The large volume of data acquired from twenty years of satellite observations of SST has given scientists a uniquely detailed view of the changing physical characteristics of the surface of the oceans, sampled at a rate impossible to achieve with only ship based observations. Today the entire planet is observed at least once a day by various satellite sensors. Demands are increasing to frequently update measurements of SST for use in near-real time to drive ocean foreacsting models, and for numerical weather prediction. At the same time the use of SST as a measure of climate change requires measurements of high accuracy.Medspiration
The Medspiration Project is a European initiative to combine data measured independently by several different satellite systems into a set of data products that represent the best measure of SST, presented in a form that can be assimilated into ocean forecasting models.
