• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.432-448
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• 2024

In this study, satellite Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data produced by Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) were collected to generate matchups with in situ data from coastal waters around the Korean Peninsula to validate its accuracy and analyze the environmental factors influencing it. Satellite data were collected over three years, from January 2021 to December 2023, producing a total of 497 matchups. Differences between SLSTR skin SSTs and buoy temperature measurements showed a Root Mean Square Difference (RMSD) of about 0.42 K and a mean bias of -0.24 K, which met the pre-launch requirements of the SLSTR satellite. The mean bias was -0.14 K during the daytime and -0.29 K at nighttime, with a larger negative bias observed at nighttime. Seasonal variability was also observed with negative and positive biases occurring during winter and summer, respectively. Regionally, the RMSD range was broader in the Yellow Sea and southern region than in the East Sea. In addition, factors such as distance from the coast, wind speed, and spatial gradient of SST were found to influence variability. Satellite SST showed a positive bias during the daytime and negative bias at nighttime under low wind speed conditions below 4 m s^-1, with larger overall biases at nighttime. The difference in satellite SST tended to decrease as the distance from the coast increased, whereas the RMSD increased as the spatial gradient of sea surface temperature increased. The findings of this study emphasize the need for further research on the characteristics of satellite SST variability, because this preliminary study on the use of SLSTR satellite SST in highly localized environments highlights the significant influence of various environmental factors.