Aquarius V5.0: Annual Ascending Ocean Wind Speed

Global ocean surface wind speed data is provided at a 1-degree spatial resolution, averaged annually from ascending satellite passes. The dataset originates from the Aquarius/SAC-D mission, a collaboration between NASA and Argentina's CONAE, using three radiometers and a scatterometer to measure brightness temperature and ocean backscatter. It represents the official end-of-mission public release, version 5.0.

Use Cases

• Analyzing annual wind speed climatology based on gridded 1-degree resolution maps.
• Studying surface roughness for salinity estimation corrections using scatterometer backscatter data.
• Investigating satellite instrument performance by comparing data from three radiometers at different incidence angles.
• Modeling ocean-atmosphere energy exchange using long-term averaged wind speed data.
• Validating other satellite or model-derived wind products against this official mission release.

Strengths

• Provides data from the official end-of-mission public release (version 5.0), indicating a finalized and validated product.
• Offers specific instrument details: three radiometers at 29, 38, and 46-degree incidence angles with defined footprints and a scatterometer with a 390km swath.
• Contains data averaged over multiple time scales, including annual, suggesting utility for long-term trend analysis.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are unknown, limiting precise understanding of the file contents.
• Metadata completeness is low: row counts, file sizes, and specific license details are not provided across platforms.
• Update dates conflict: one source lists 2026-03-13, while another lists 2015-06-07, raising questions about current maintenance.

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.

Time Range

Annual averages (specific years not stated).

Freshness

2026-03-13 17:07:18.397022

Geography

Global ocean coverage.