CYGNSS: Ocean Surface Heat Flux Data Record Version 2.0

August 2018 to present, this dataset provides ocean surface heat flux parameters derived from the CYGNSS satellite constellation. It offers 25x25 kilometer footprint resolution with a mean revisit time of seven hours. NASA produces this Science Data Record using the COARE 3.5 algorithm and ERA5 reanalysis data.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean-atmosphere heat exchange based on latent and sensible heat flux parameters.
• Analyzing tropical cyclone energy dynamics based on frequent, gap-free coverage of surface wind speeds.
• Studying global ocean heat budget variability based on time-tagged and geolocated flux data.
• Validating climate models based on satellite-derived heat flux estimates using the COARE 3.5 algorithm.

Strengths

• Provides data from a constellation of eight satellites, enabling nearly gap-free Earth coverage.
• Uses the COARE 3.5 algorithm, verified with direct in situ flux measurements for wind speeds up to 25 m/s.
• Offers a median revisit time of three hours, providing frequent observations.
• Has a spatial resolution of 25x25 kilometers for each reported sample location.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Does not provide air/sea temperature, humidity, surface pressure, or density directly; these are sourced from ERA5.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from the Delay Doppler Mapping Instrument aboard the CYGNSS satellite constellation and ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis.

Time Range

August 2018 to present

Freshness

Updated 2026-03-13; data is available from August 2018 with an approximate 1-week latency.

Geography

Global ocean coverage