Global ocean surface wind speed data is provided as gridded standard mapped images at 1-degree spatial resolution, averaged over 7-day periods. NASA and the Argentinian Space Agency (CONAE) produced this version 5.0 dataset from the AQUARIUS/SAC-D mission's radiometer and scatterometer instruments. The data represents the official end-of-mission public release from 2015.
Use Cases
- Analyzing spatial patterns of 7-day averaged wind speed from 1-degree gridded data for climate studies.
- Validating numerical weather prediction model outputs against satellite-derived wind speed observations.
- Studying ocean surface roughness corrections using the linked 1.26 GHz scatterometer backscatter data.
- Correlating wind speed variability with other oceanographic parameters measured by the Aquarius mission.
Strengths
- Data is the official version 5.0 end-of-mission public release, ensuring a stable, final product.
- Provides wind speed at a consistent 1-degree spatial resolution across multiple temporal averages (daily, 7-day, monthly, seasonal).
- Derived from three radiometers and a scatterometer, offering multiple measurement angles and correction capabilities.
Limitations
- Temporal coverage is limited to the AQUARIUS/SAC-D mission lifetime, ending with this 2015 release.
- Spatial resolution of 1 degree is coarse for studying mesoscale or coastal wind phenomena.
- Cross-track swath width of 370 km provides less frequent global coverage compared to wider-swath instruments.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA and the Argentinian Space Agency (CONAE) AQUARIUS/SAC-D mission.
- Collection Method
- Measured by satellite-borne radiometers at 1.413 GHz and a 1.26 GHz scatterometer, then processed into Level 3 gridded products.
- Time Range
- Covers the operational period of the AQUARIUS/SAC-D mission, culminating in the 2015 final release.
- Freshness
- Last updated in 2015; represents a completed mission archive with no new data expected.
- Geography
- Global ocean coverage, constrained by the instrument's 370 km cross-track swath and orbital parameters.