Aquarius Level 3: Sea Surface Spiciness 7-Day Mapped Images

Aquarius Level 3 sea surface spiciness data provides gridded maps at 1-degree spatial resolution, averaged over 7-day periods. The dataset is version 5.0 from the Aquarius instrument onboard the NASA/CONAE AQUARIUS/SAC-D satellite, which uses three radiometers and a scatterometer to measure brightness temperature and ocean backscatter for salinity estimation. The data was last updated on March 13, 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean density variations based on sea surface spiciness data.
• Analyzing large-scale salinity patterns based on 7-day averaged, gridded maps.
• Calibrating or validating oceanographic models using satellite-derived spice data.
• Studying surface roughness corrections for salinity estimation based on scatterometer backscatter measurements.

Strengths

• Data is from version 5.0 of the Aquarius dataset, indicating a processed release.
• Provides a 1-degree spatial resolution global grid.
• Derived from a satellite instrument with three radiometers and a dedicated scatterometer for corrections.
• Collaboratively produced by NASA and the Argentinian Space Agency (CONAE).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and total data volume are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description does not specify the exact temporal coverage of the data series.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Collected by the Aquarius instrument's radiometers and scatterometer onboard the AQUARIUS/SAC-D satellite.

Time Range

Averaged over 7-day time scales; specific date range not provided.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 14:48:03.961243; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global ocean coverage, with a satellite swath of approximately 370 km (radiometers) and 390 km (scatterometer).