Assessment of MODIS-Aqua sea surface temperature in the Yellow Sea and East China Seas

Large scale and continuous warming have been reported in The Yellow Sea and East China Seas (YECS) during the last decades. It is crucial to have long-term climate data such as sea temperature to investigate environmental changes as well as climate changes. Satellite observation can provide long-term environmental data such as sea surface temperature with high temporal and spatial resolution. Sea surface temperature (SST) data from the NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard Aqua are available since 2002. There are two MODIS-measured SST products, 11 um SST for day time (MODIS SST) and 4 um SST for night time (MODIS SST4). In this presentation, both MODIS SST and SST4 are validated and evaluated using in-situ SST measurements from periodical field surveys by the National Fisheries Research Development Institute of Korea (NFRDI) since 1970s and the moored Yellow Sea Buoy (YSB) of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST) deployed in 2007. Day time SST and night time SST data from MODIS-Aqua and the in-situ measurements are compared. In addition, decadal changes of SST in YECS are investigated using the MODIS and in-situ SST measurements.

Comparison results between MODIS and in-situ SST measurements showed very good agreement.

Day time SST is higher than night time SST in both MODIS (~0.67℃) and the in-situ (0.19℃) SST data in YECS. Difference between day time and night SST data is larger in summer than in winter season. Decadal changes in SST in the YECS will be also discussed using the long-term spatial data from MODIS and in-situ SST observations.