Seasonal climatology data provides gridded sea surface density estimates at 1-degree spatial resolution, derived from satellite retrievals. The dataset was produced by NASA and the Argentinian Space Agency (CONAE) using the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite instrument, with the last update noted in June 2015. It contains density values calculated from retrieved salinity and collated sea surface temperature data.
Use Cases
- Modeling ocean circulation patterns using the gridded 1-degree sea surface density field.
- Analyzing seasonal variability in ocean density from the seasonal climatology averages.
- Validating ocean general circulation models against satellite-derived density estimates.
- Studying the relationship between sea surface salinity and density using the TEOS-10 derived data.
Strengths
- Data is gridded at a consistent 1-degree spatial resolution for global analysis.
- Derived using the TEOS-10 thermodynamic equation of seawater, a modern standard.
- Product incorporates data from three radiometers and a scatterometer for surface roughness correction.
Limitations
- Data is a seasonal climatology, not individual time-series, limiting analysis of interannual variability.
- Only uses retrieved values from Descending satellite passes, potentially introducing diurnal sampling bias.
- The dataset's last update was in 2015, making it temporally stale for current climate studies.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA and Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE) via the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite.
- Collection Method
- Satellite remote sensing using three L-band radiometers and a scatterometer, with data processed to gridded climatological averages.
- Time Range
- Seasonal climatology period is unspecified.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Global ocean coverage, inferred from satellite swath and gridded product.