Aquarius: Sea Surface Spiciness Ascending 7-Day Data

Aquarius Level 3 sea surface spiciness standard mapped image data provides gridded spice data at 1-degree spatial resolution averaged over a 7-day period for ascending satellite passes. This product, version 5.0, is derived from the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite instrument, a collaboration between NASA and Argentina's CONAE. The instrument uses three radiometers and a scatterometer to measure brightness temperature and ocean backscatter for salinity estimation.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ocean water mass distribution based on gridded spiciness data.
• Monitoring sea surface density variations over weekly time scales.
• Correlating salinity estimates with satellite-measured brightness temperature and backscatter.
• Studying global oceanographic patterns using 1-degree resolution mapped imagery.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a dedicated satellite instrument with three radiometers and a scatterometer.
• Provides a standardized 7-day averaged product at a 1-degree spatial resolution.
• Cross-platform presence on datagov and nasa_earthdata indicates established curation.

Limitations

• Column names and dataset size are unknown across all sources.
• License information is inconsistent: 'other-license-specified' on datagov, 'None' on nasa_earthdata.
• Last updated dates conflict: 2026-03-13 on datagov and 2015-06-07 on nasa_earthdata.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Aquarius instrument on the AQUARIUS/SAC-D satellite.

Freshness

2026-03-13 17:12:54.661748

Geography

Global ocean coverage with a total cross-track swath of 370 km.