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CoastWatch/OceanWatch satellite data that are utilized for monitoring and forecasting climate and weather include sea surface temperature, ocean color, sea surface winds, sea surface height and sea surface roughness.
Sea surface temperature is used in a variety weather forecasts and climate outlooks as sea surface temperature greatly impacts heat distribution and evaporation.
Ocean color the quantity of particles and phytoplankton derived from ocean color are used in weather and climate models as various particles and phytoplankton are known to absorb or reflect light, impacting ocean heat content.
Sea surface winds are an important part of marine weather reports and forecasts. Sea surface winds are also used to estimate air-sea exchanges of heat, moisture, gases and particles that impact global and regional climate and weather.
Sea surface height is used to improve forecasts of climatological events such as El Niño and La Niña. Sea surface height is also used as part of calculations of ocean heat content which is used in short an long term weather forecasts.
Sea surface roughness to identify sea ice extent and thickness for use in weather forecasting, seasonal outlooks and climate research.
| The National Estuary Program identifies, protects, and conserves water quality for ecologically significant estuaries and surrounding watersheds. The National Estuary Program uses Sea Surface Temperature time series products produced by the NOAA CoastWatch East Coast Node for estuary management. |
| NOAA's Atlantic Oceanography & Meterological Laboratory produces a Tropical Cyclone Heat Potential (TCHP) product represents a robust measure of how much energy is available in the ocean to sustain or modify the intensity of tropical cyclones.The NOAA CoastWatch Geo-Polar Blended surface sea temperature product and sea surface height data are used to produce global daily TCHP fields. |
| U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes agencies work together to document significant quarterly events, seasonal and yearly changes for the Great Lakes region and compile them into quarterly reports. NOAA Great Lakes CoastWatch data used in these bulletins includes Sea Surface Temperature, Synthetic Aperture Radar and real time marine data from buoys, coastal met stations, airports, and ships. |
