Image attribution

Images in this billboard are used with the permission of Mark Edlund, Science Museum of Minnesota.

NOAA CoastWatch: Great Lakes Node

Delivering environmental data and products for near real-time observation of the Great Lakes.

SST Data Availability Limited

Due to an  update to the servers at NOAA’s central processing division, sea surface temperature data will be intermittent. During these data gaps, please refer to the modeled sea surface temperatures. We appreciate your patience.

Uncrewed Aircraft System Notice:

NOAA/GLERL will be operating our small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) at altitudes of up to 400 feet above ground level. Specific locations are determined on a case-by-case basis. During these flights, the sUAS will be in technical compliance with PII information collected in accordance to the presidential memorandum “Promoting Economic Competitiveness While Safeguarding Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties in Domestic Use of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems.” We will publish the locations of the flights at a later date.

Services provided

CoastWatch data are used in a variety of ways, including near real-time observation and tracking of algal blooms, plumes, ice cover, wind, water intake temperatures at fish hatcheries, two and three dimensional modeling of Great Lakes physical parameters such as wave height and currents damage assessment modeling, research, and educational and recreational activities.

In addition, through a cooperative project with Michigan Sea Grant, Great Lakes CoastWatch satellite-derived surface temperature imagery is contoured and made available via Michigan State Sea Grant’s web site. Great Lakes CoastWatch data and products benefit riparians as well as commercial and recreational users.

Featured services

True Color

True color images look similar to a “photograph” of the earth and lakes from a space-borne satellite perspective.

SST Contour Maps

Daily interpolated temperatures from multiple satellite measurements.

Ice Products

Data from the NOAA CoastWatch Great Lakes Node to monitor the ice conditions such as six different types of ice, ice thickness, and ice cover.

Who we are

Andrea Vander Woude, Ph.D.

Node Manager
Research Physical Scientist – Remote Sensing Researcher

Songzhi Liu

Operations Manager
Programmer Analyst