Aquarius Level 3: 7-Day Global Sea Surface Density Maps from Satellite

Global ocean data from the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite, a NASA and CONAE collaboration. This version 5.0 dataset provides 7-day averaged, 1-degree resolution sea surface density maps, derived from retrieved salinity and ancillary sea surface temperature. The data is produced using measurements from three radiometers and a scatterometer operating at L-band frequencies.

Use Cases

• Modeling global ocean circulation and water mass formation based on sea surface density maps.
• Studying the relationship between sea surface salinity and density based on TEOS-10 derived estimates.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal variability in ocean surface properties based on 7-day averaged gridded data.
• Validating and improving oceanographic models based on satellite-derived density observations.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a dedicated satellite instrument with three radiometers and a scatterometer for surface roughness correction.
• Provides a consistent global product at 1-degree spatial resolution averaged over a 7-day timescale.
• Based on version 5.0 of the Aquarius dataset, indicating a processed and refined data release.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and file structure require manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics and data format must be inferred from downloaded files.
• The dataset is limited to Ascending satellite passes only, which may affect temporal coverage in some regions.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Temporal coverage is not explicitly stated in the provided input.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 14:56:02.696458; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global ocean coverage, as suggested by the description of gridded standard mapped image data.