Aquarius V5.0: Seasonal Rain-Flagged Sea Surface Salinity

Seasonal averages of sea surface salinity are provided at a 1-degree spatial resolution, derived from the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite mission. The dataset is produced by three radiometers measuring brightness temperature at 1.413 GHz and a scatterometer at 1.26 GHz for surface roughness correction. It supports analysis of ocean salinity patterns and their relation to climate processes.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal variability in ocean salinity based on gridded 1-degree resolution data.
• Correcting salinity estimates for surface roughness using scatterometer backscatter measurements.
• Studying large-scale salinity patterns for climate model validation using satellite radiometer data.
• Investigating the impact of rainfall on sea surface salinity using the rain-flagged product.

Strengths

• Provides data at a consistent 1-degree spatial resolution for global analysis.
• Incorporates a dedicated scatterometer (1.26 GHz) for surface roughness correction, a specific technical feature.
• Results from a collaborative mission between NASA and CONAE, indicating institutional backing.

Limitations

• Exact row count, file size, and column details are unknown across all platforms.
• The last update date conflicts between sources (2015 on NASA Earthdata and 2026 on Data.gov).
• License information is inconsistently reported ('other-license-specified' vs. 'None').

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Aquarius instrument on the AQUARIUS/SAC-D satellite.

Freshness

2026-03-13 17:24:29.974306

Geography

Global ocean coverage with a total cross-track swath of 370 km.