Aquarius Satellite Mission Cumulative Ocean Wind Speed Gridded Data

Gridded ocean surface wind speed data at 1-degree spatial resolution, averaged over daily, 7-day, monthly, and seasonal scales. This mission-cumulative product for the descending orbit is version 5.0 from the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite, a joint NASA and Argentine CONAE mission. The data was collected by a three-radiometer instrument suite and a scatterometer, with the last recorded update in 2015.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal wind speed patterns using the monthly and seasonal averaged data layers.
• Validating numerical weather prediction models against the 1-degree gridded wind speed observations.
• Studying ocean surface roughness corrections for salinity estimation using the linked scatterometer backscatter data.
• Comparing descending orbit wind speed measurements with other satellite missions for data fusion.

Strengths

• Provides data at multiple temporal resolutions: daily, 7-day, monthly, and seasonal averages.
• Spatial resolution is defined at 1 degree for the gridded product.
• Data incorporates measurements from three radiometers and a dedicated scatterometer for correction.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage ends with the last update in 2015, limiting analysis of recent climate trends.
• Specific row counts, sample sizes, and data volume statistics are unavailable for assessing completeness.
• The 1-degree spatial resolution may be too coarse for studies requiring fine-scale coastal or mesoscale processes.

Provenance

Source

Aquarius/SAC-D satellite, a collaborative mission between NASA and Argentina's CONAE.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing using three push-broom radiometers at 1.413 GHz and a 1.26 GHz scatterometer.

Time Range

Mission duration; specific start date unknown, with data processed up to 2015.

Freshness

Last updated in 2015; no update frequency specified.

Geography

Global ocean coverage within the instrument's 370-390 km cross-track swath.