Aquarius Satellite Monthly Sea Surface Density Climatology

Satellite-derived monthly climatology maps of global sea surface density at a 1-degree spatial resolution. This Level 3 standard mapped image product is based on data from the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite, a joint NASA and CONAE mission, using retrieved salinity and collocated sea surface temperature. The dataset represents a processed, gridded climatology derived from descending passes only, utilizing the TEOS-10 equation of state.

Use Cases

• Analyzing global patterns of ocean density for climate model validation using the gridded 1-degree data.
• Studying long-term climatological trends in sea surface density derived from the monthly averaged time series.
• Investigating the relationship between salinity, temperature, and density in oceanographic research using the TEOS-10 derived estimates.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a dedicated satellite mission (Aquarius/SAC-D) with three radiometers and a scatterometer for surface roughness correction.
• Provides a processed, gridded climatology product at a consistent 1-degree spatial resolution, simplifying large-scale analysis.
• Surface density estimates follow the international TEOS-10 standard, derived from satellite salinity and ancillary sea surface temperature data.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all provided sources.
• The license is unclear, with one source listing 'other-license-specified' and others listing 'unknown' or 'None', creating a conflict.
• Data appears to be static, with the last confirmed update in 2015, despite one source showing a 2026 date which may be a metadata artifact.

Provenance

Source

NASA and the Argentinian Space Agency (CONAE) via the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite mission.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing using three L-band radiometers and a scatterometer, processed into Level 3 gridded standard mapped images.

Time Range

Monthly climatology (long-term average).

Freshness

2015-06-07 12:45:21

Geography

Global ocean coverage.