NOAA ACSPO v2.80 0.02deg L3S SST from Mid-Morning LEO satellites (L3S-LEO-AM)

NOAA produces two lines of gridded 0.02deg super-collated L3S LEO SST datasets from Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites, one from the NOAA afternoon JPSS (L3S_LEO_PM) and the other from the EUMETSAT mid-morning Metop-FG (L3S_LEO_AM). The L3S_LEO_AM is derived from Metop-A, -B and -C. The Metop-FG satellite program was jointly established by ESA and EUMETSAT. The US NOAA, under the Initial Joint Polar System Agreement with EUMETSAT, has contributed three AVHRR sensors capable of collecting and transmitting data in the Full Resolution Area Coverage (FRAC; 1km/nadir) format. The L3S_LEO_AM dataset is produced by aggregating three L3U datasets from MetOp-FG satellites ( http://doi.org/10.5067/GHMTA-3US28 , http://doi.org/10.5067/GHMTB-3US28 , http://doi.org/10.5067/GHMTC-3US28 ) and covers from Dec 2006-present. The L3S-LEO-AM data are reported in two files per 24hr interval, one daytime and one nighttime (nominal Metop local equator crossing times around 09:30/21:30, respectively), in NetCDF4 format, compliant with the GHRSST Data Specification version 2 (GDS2). The Near-Real Time (NRT) L3S-LEO data are archived at PO.DAAC with approximately 6 hours latency and then replaced by the Delayed Mode files about 2 months later, with identical file names. The NRT/DM data are seamlessly stitched with the full-mission Reanalysis (RAN). In addition to SST, the L3S-LEO files report the location and intensity of thermal fronts. The ACSPO L3S products are monitored and validated against in situ data in the NOAA iQuam system ( https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/iquam ) in the NOAA SQUAM system ( https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/squam ). Quality of SST imagery and clear-sky mask is evaluated in the NOAA ARMS system ( https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/arms ). NOAA plans to include data from other mid-morning platforms and sensors, such as Metop-SG METImage, into L3S_LEO_AM.