This data set (GSSTF 2C) has been superceded by GSSTF3 released in July 2012. The Goddard Satellite-based Surface Turbulent Fluxes (GSSTF) data set is part of the NASA Making Earth Science Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) Project. The objective of this project is to continually produce a uniform data set of sea surface turbulent fluxes derived from remote sensing data and analysis that have been and continue to be useful for global energy and water flux research and applications. This product is useful for diagnosing the global water and energy cycle interaction of higher frequency scenario. Fully tested, these products can serve as a crucial input for data assimilation of oceanic GCMs for forecasting.
Model climate simulations show an enhanced hydrologic cycle, which must be corroborated with observations. The daily temporal and one-degree spatial resolution of the product can be used to examine climate variability at these scales. Oceanic evaporation contributes to the net fresh water input to the oceans and drives the upper ocean density structure and consequently the circulation of the oceans. On the other hand, the 12-hr temporal and a quarter degree spatial resolution of the product can be used to studying the hurricane-ocean interaction of higher frequency scenario. Fully tested, these products can serve as a crucial input for data assimilation of oceanic GCMs for forecasting.
The GSSTF 2c collection of datasets is an upgraded and improved version from the preceding GSSTF 2b (Version 2b) released in October 2010. The Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) Version-6 brightness temperatures (Tb) used for the GSSTF 2b production were recently found to contain "artificial" temporal trends that were mainly due to drifts/trends in the Earth Incidence Angle (EIA) of the SSM/I satellites (e.g., F08, F10, F11, F13, F14 and F15). An algorithm that successfully handles the EIA problem has therefore been developed and applied to produce a corrected version of SSM/I brightness temperatures, which are subsequently used for producing the GSSTF 2c collection. The GSSTF, Version 2c, daily fluxes have first been produced for each individual available SSM/I (Special Sensor Microwave Imager) satellite tapes (e.g., F08, F10, F11, F13, F14 and F15). Then, the Combined daily fluxes are produced by averaging (equally weighted) over available flux data/files from various satellites. These Combined daily flux data are considered as the "final" GSSTF, Version 2c, and are stored in this HDF-EOS5 collection.
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National Center for Atmospheric Research Staff (Eds). Last modified 08 Oct 2013. "The Climate Data Guide: Goddard Satellite-based Surface Turbulent Fluxes Version 2c (GSSTF 2c)." Retrieved from https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate-data/goddard-satellite-based-surface-turbulent-fluxes-version-2c-gsstf-2c.
Funding: NSF | National Science Foundation
Based at: NCAR | National Center for Atmospheric Research
A Project of: Climate Analysis Section in Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory
Created by: Climate Data Guide PIs and Staff
