Aquarius Level 3 data provides sea surface salinity (SSS) measurements averaged over 7-day periods on a 1-degree spatial grid. NASA and Argentina's CONAE produced this version 5.0 dataset using the AQUARIUS/SAC-D satellite's radiometers and scatterometer. The data was last updated in the system on June 7, 2015.
Use Cases
- Analyzing temporal salinity patterns using the 7-day averaged sea surface salinity values.
- Correcting salinity estimates for surface roughness using the scatterometer's ocean backscatter data at 1.26 GHz.
- Mapping global salinity distribution and anomalies from the gridded 1-degree spatial resolution data.
- Studying the relationship between brightness temperature measurements (TH and TV at 1.413 GHz) and derived salinity.
- Assessing data quality and retrieval accuracy by comparing the three radiometer beams at 29, 38, and 46-degree incidence angles.
Strengths
- Data is rain-flagged, indicating quality control for precipitation effects.
- Provides measurements from three distinct radiometer beams with footprints ranging from 76x94 km to 96x156 km.
- Combines radiometer brightness temperature data with scatterometer backscatter for surface roughness correction.
Limitations
- Temporal coverage is limited, with the last update recorded in 2015, indicating the dataset is not current.
- Specific sample size (row count), geographic bounds, and data volume are unknown from the provided information.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA and Argentina's Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE) via the AQUARIUS/SAC-D satellite.
- Collection Method
- Satellite remote sensing using three L-band radiometers and a scatterometer operating at 1.26 GHz and 1.413 GHz.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Global ocean coverage within the instrument's 370 km (radiometer) and 390 km (scatterometer) cross-track swath.