Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.w9ghx3g24

Description of the data and file structure

The importance of accurate measurements of ocean skin temperature, T_skin, is increasingly recognized for a wide range of air-sea interaction research. However, T_skin measurements currently are made using complex infrared radiometer systems that have been limited to ship deployments. Major measurement challenges are in situ calibration, a separate sky measurement to correct for reflected downwelling radiance, and emissivity uncertainty. The InfraRed Instrument for Sea Surface temperature (IRISS) is a simplified design that uses a one-point in situ calibration and separate sensors to measure the sea and sky radiance. The standard wavelength band (9.6-11.5 mm) and a so-called optimal band (7.5-7.85 mm) were evaluated by comparison to the Remote Ocean Surface Radiometer (ROSR) during an extensive field deployment. Both versions were found to have accuracy comparable to ROSR and thus meet the design goal of ±0.10 °C.

The dataset structure is CSV files containing time series with variable names at the beginning of the file. Potential reuse includes verifying the performance. There are no legal or ethical considerations. 

Files and variables

NSF OCE Award 2241269 and Jessup et al [2025, in review]

All times are UTC

All temperature are Centigrade

Filenames       

IRISS_Tout_C45_v3.csv       IRISS data optimal band

IRISS_Tout_C85_v3.csv       IRISS data standard band

Data column names    

T_skin Skin Temperature (uncalibrated)

T_brt   Brightness Temperature (uncalibrated)

T_sky  Sky Temperature

T_shutter         Shutter Temperature

T_offset          Offset Temperature

dT_amb_skin  Temperture difference between sensor and skin

T_corr_amb     Temperature correction for self-emission

T_skin_cal       Skin Temperature (calibrated)

T_brt_cal         Brightness Temperature (calibrated)

Filename

iriss_time_avg.csv       time in number of seconds since 1/1/1904

Filenames

rosr9_data.csv

rosr3_data.csv

Data column names

yyyy    year

mo       month

dd        day

hh        hour

mn       minute

ss         second

Ts        skin temperature

Tsu      skin temperature (uncorrected)

T1        blackbody 1 temperature

T2        blackbody 2 temperature

k1        blackbody 1 counts

k2        blackbody 2 counts

ksea     sea counts

ksky     sky counts

dsea     unknown

pitch    pitch

roll       roll

esea     emissivity

lat        latitude

lon       longitude

sog       speed over ground (m/s)

cog      course over ground (degrees True)

tktcase case temperature

           

Code/software

Not Applicable

Access information

Other publicly accessible locations of the data:

• None

Data was derived from the following sources:

• Author