Retrieval of high temporal sea surface current from geostationary satellite images

Satellite remote sensing technology shows excellent potential and application in the observation of sea surface current dynamics. In this study, we used the high temporal resolution geostationary satellite images from the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) and the Geo-stationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) to detect the sea surface currents (SSC) in the Bohai Sea, China. The sequential speed and direction of sea surface currents were estimated from 8:30 to 15:30 local time on 8 July 2020, using the maximum correlation coefficient (MCC) technique. The sea surface currents estimated from AHI imagery were compared with those from GOCI imagery, and current data from the OSU TPXO Tidal Model. The results show that the high temporal sea surface currents estimated from geostationary satellite imagery are accordant with the model data. It is clear that AHI can observe sea surface currents more frequently than GOCI and reflects more details of the diurnal dynamic changes in coastal waters.