Sea surface skin temperature

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sea-surface-skin-temperature

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How deep is the Sea surface skin temperature?10–20 micrometers
2. What is the scientific name?Sea Surface Skin Temperature (SSTskin)
3. What is the primary measurement technology?Passive infrared radiometry from spaceborne platforms
4. Why is the skin layer so thin?The skin layer is only a few micrometers thick because it is the part of the water that absorbs sunlight and emits infrared light before the heat can mix deeper into the ocean.
5. How do satellites measure sea surface skin temperature?Satellites use passive infrared cameras that look at light in the 3.7–12 micrometer range to see how much heat the skin layer gives off. This lets scientists map the temperature all over the world.

Radiative Equilibrium: A state where the energy absorbed by a system equals the energy emitted, resulting in a stable temperature.
Diurnal Cycle: The pattern of changes that occur over a 24-hour period, driven by the Earth's rotation and solar insolation.
Atmospheric Circulation: The large-scale movement of air in Earth's atmosphere, driven by temperature and pressure differences, which dictates weather patterns.
Sensible Heat Flux: The transfer of heat through direct contact, such as warm air heating a cooler ocean surface.