Aquarius V5.0: Monthly Sea Surface Spiciness from Satellite

NASA and CONAE's Aquarius/SAC-D satellite provides this Level 3 sea surface spiciness dataset. It contains gridded data at 1-degree spatial resolution, averaged monthly from descending satellite passes. The dataset is derived from a three-radiometer instrument measuring brightness temperature and a scatterometer for ocean backscatter corrections.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ocean water mass distribution and mixing based on spiciness values.
• Studying seasonal variability in sea surface density structure from monthly averaged data.
• Validating ocean circulation models using satellite-derived spiciness maps.
• Investigating the relationship between sea surface salinity, temperature, and spiciness from radiometer data.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated NASA-CONAE satellite mission with a described instrument specification.
• Provides a standardized, gridded product at a consistent 1-degree spatial resolution.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates official curation and importance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: exact row count, file size, and specific column names are unknown.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2015 vs. 2026) create uncertainty about dataset maintenance.
• The 'other-license-specified' tag on Data.gov requires manual verification of usage rights.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Aquarius instrument's three L-band radiometers and scatterometer.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-03-13 17:10:36.734837

Geography

Global ocean coverage from a satellite with a 370 km cross-track swath.