Beschreibung:
<jats:p>Sea surface temperature (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SST</jats:styled-content>) datasets have been generated from satellite observations for the period 1991–2010, intended for use in climate science applications. Attributes of the datasets specifically relevant to climate applications are: first, independence from <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> observations; second, effort to ensure homogeneity and stability through the time‐series; third, context‐specific uncertainty estimates attached to each <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SST</jats:styled-content> value; and, fourth, provision of estimates of both skin <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SST</jats:styled-content> (the fundamental measurement, relevant to air‐sea fluxes) and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SST</jats:styled-content> at standard depth and local time (partly model mediated, enabling comparison with historical <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> datasets). These attributes in part reflect requirements solicited from climate data users prior to and during the project. Datasets consisting of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SST</jats:styled-content>s on satellite swaths are derived from the Along‐Track Scanning Radiometers (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ATSR</jats:styled-content>s) and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometers (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AVHRR</jats:styled-content>s). These are then used as sole <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SST</jats:styled-content> inputs to a daily, spatially complete, analysis <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SST</jats:styled-content> product, with a latitude‐longitude resolution of 0.05°C and good discrimination of ocean surface thermal features. A product user guide is available, linking to reports describing the datasets' algorithmic basis, validation results, format, uncertainty information and experimental use in trial climate applications. Future versions of the datasets will span at least 1982–2015, better addressing the need in many climate applications for stable records of global <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SST</jats:styled-content> that are at least 30 years in length.</jats:p>