Global sea surface density data is provided at a 1-degree spatial resolution, averaged over a 28-day running mean from ascending satellite passes. The dataset is derived from version 5.0 of the Aquarius instrument's retrieved salinity and collocated sea surface temperature. It was produced by NASA and the Argentinian Space Agency CONAE, with the last known update in 2015.
Use Cases
- Analyzing spatiotemporal patterns of sea surface density from gridded 1-degree maps to study ocean stratification.
- Investigating the relationship between retrieved salinity and collocated ancillary SST for validating thermodynamic equations of seawater (TEOS-10).
- Modeling ocean circulation by using 28-day running mean density data as a boundary condition or validation dataset.
- Assessing surface roughness corrections by correlating scatterometer backscatter measurements with derived density estimates.
Strengths
- 1-degree gridded spatial resolution provides global coverage
- Data incorporates measurements from three radiometers and a scatterometer across a 370 km swath
- Derived using the TEOS-10 standard for seawater properties
Limitations
- Data is from 2015 and may not reflect current ocean conditions
- Limited to ascending satellite passes, missing descending pass data
- Spatial resolution of 1 degree may be coarse for regional or coastal studies
Provenance
- Source
- NASA and Argentinian Space Agency CONAE via the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite.
- Collection Method
- Remote sensing via three L-band radiometers measuring brightness temperature and a scatterometer measuring ocean backscatter, processed into gridded standard mapped images.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Global ocean coverage.