Sea Surface Temperature and Color
Sea surface-temperature is one important type of data that GOES and POES provide. Knowing the temperature of ocean water is important in and of itself. Temperature changes influence the behavior of fish, can cause the bleaching of corals, and affects weather along the coast. Satellite images of sea-surface temperature also show patterns of water circulation. Examples include locations of upwelling, characterized by cold waters that rise up from the depths, often near the coasts; and warm water currents, such as the Gulf 
Stream. The most commonly used instrument providing information on sea surface temperatures is the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on the NOAA meteorological satellites, NOAA-14, NOAA-15, and NOAA-16. This sensor collects data every day, creating an image by combining rows of 2,048 pixels (picture elements, or “dots”) as it passes over the Earth’s surface. Each individual pixel taken by the AVHRR covers an area of the Earth’s surface approximately 1 square kilometer in size; this provides a regional overview of sea surface temperature and its impacts
