Speaker:
Salvatore Marullo, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) – Istituto di Scienze Marine (ISMAR)

Sea Surface Temperature (SST) is one of the Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) as defined by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). SST plays a key role in regulating climate and its variability. It modulates the exchange of heat between the ocean and the atmosphere and, together with sea surface salinity, reflects changes in thermohaline circulation in the ocean. Operational meteorological satellite observations have significantly contributed to the continuous monitoring of SST on a global scale with high spatial and temporal resolution, producing the longest time series of measured data among the ECVs. Infrared measurements began in the 1960s/1970s revealing, for the first time, the complexity of the ocean surface temperature field, but it is only since 1979, with the arrival of the AVHRR sensor, that accurate measurement of absolute SST has been possible due to the availability of multiple infrared channels. This presentation aims to explore this history from the first AVHRR measurements to the present, highlighting scientific advances achieved. It will then focus on upcoming missions for the next decade including applications of microwave sensors for SST measurements. The presentation will conclude with an overview of the future Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) mission, set to launch in 2029.