Aquarius: 28-Day Running Mean Sea Surface Salinity from Satellite

Aquarius Level 3 sea surface salinity data provides gridded 1-degree spatial resolution measurements. The dataset is a 28-day running mean product using only Ascending pass retrievals from the AQUARIUS/SAC-D satellite, a joint NASA and Argentinian CONAE mission. The instrument uses three radiometers at 1.413 GHz and a 1.26 GHz scatterometer across a 370 km swath to estimate salinity.

Use Cases

• Modeling global ocean circulation and freshwater input based on gridded sea surface salinity maps.
• Studiating seasonal and interannual salinity variability based on 28-day running mean temporal scales.
• Validating satellite salinity retrieval algorithms based on brightness temperature and backscatter measurements.
• Analyzing the impact of rainfall on sea surface salinity based on rain-flagged data products.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated satellite mission (AQUARIUS/SAC-D) with a specific 1.413 GHz radiometer and 1.26 GHz scatterometer.
• Provides a consistent 1-degree spatial resolution gridded product.
• Includes a rain-flagged product designed to account for precipitation effects on salinity readings.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and total data volume are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the AQUARIUS/SAC-D spacecraft's radiometers and scatterometer.

Time Range

Temporal coverage is not explicitly stated in the provided input.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 14:59:15.240976; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global ocean coverage within the instrument's 370 km cross-track swath.