Aquarius Official Release Level 3 Sea Surface Spiciness Standard Mapped Image 7-Day Data V5.0 provides gridded spice data at 1-degree spatial resolution, averaged over weekly intervals. The dataset originates from the NASA and CONAE collaborative Aquarius/SAC-D satellite mission, which operated three radiometers and a scatterometer to measure ocean brightness temperature and backscatter. This specific version 5.0 product was last updated in June 2015.
Use Cases
- Analyzing weekly spiciness anomalies from 1-degree gridded maps to study ocean water mass formation and movement.
- Correlating sea surface spiciness with brightness temperature measurements at 1.413 GHz from the satellite's three radiometers.
- Using the scatterometer's 1.26 GHz ocean backscatter data to refine surface roughness corrections for salinity estimation models.
- Mapping the spatial distribution of spiciness across the satellite's 370 km cross-track swath for regional oceanographic studies.
Strengths
- Data is gridded at a consistent 1-degree spatial resolution for global analysis.
- Combines measurements from three radiometers at 29, 38, and 46-degree incidence angles and a dedicated scatterometer.
- Provides data averaged over a 7-day temporal scale, smoothing short-term noise.
Limitations
- Dataset has not been updated since 2015, limiting analysis to historical conditions.
- Specific row count, file size, and detailed column schema are unknown.
- Spatial resolution of 1 degree may be too coarse for coastal or mesoscale studies.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA and the Argentinian Space Agency (CONAE) Aquarius/SAC-D satellite mission.
- Collection Method
- Satellite remote sensing using three push-broom aligned radiometers at 1.413 GHz and a scatterometer at 1.26 GHz.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- Last updated in June 2015; update frequency is null.
- Geography
- Global ocean coverage within the instrument's 370 km cross-track swath.