Aquarius Satellite Seasonal Sea Surface Density Gridded Data

Seasonal sea surface density data is provided on a global 1-degree spatial grid, derived from satellite retrievals. This version 5.0 product uses measurements from the descending passes of the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite, a joint NASA and Argentinian Space Agency mission. The data set was last updated in June 2015.

Use Cases

• Model global ocean circulation patterns using seasonal density fields as a key input variable.
• Analyze the relationship between sea surface density and collocated ancillary sea surface temperature data.
• Validate numerical ocean models by comparing simulated density with these satellite-derived gridded estimates.
• Study seasonal variability in ocean surface properties using the averaged seasonal time scale data.

Strengths

• 1-degree spatial resolution provides global coverage
• Data derived from three radiometer beams with a combined 370 km cross-track swath for robust sampling
• Surface density estimates follow the international TEOS-10 standard

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, with the last update occurring in 2015
• Product uses only descending satellite passes, potentially introducing sampling bias
• Specific row count, file size, and data volume metrics are unavailable

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Gridded data created from satellite radiometer brightness temperature measurements at 1.413 GHz, corrected for surface roughness using a 1.26 GHz scatterometer.

Time Range

Seasonal averages, specific date range unknown.

Freshness

null

Geography

Global ocean coverage.