Global Sea Surface Salinity from Aquarius Satellite

IPRC/SOEST Aquarius OI-SSS v5.0 is a level 4, near-global sea surface salinity dataset with 0.5-degree spatial resolution and a 7-day temporal resolution. The dataset is produced by the International Pacific Research Center at the University of Hawaii using an optimal interpolation algorithm on version 5.0 AQUARIUS/SAC-D mission data. The data was last updated in June 2015.

Use Cases

• Analyze 7-day global salinity anomalies using the optimally interpolated sea surface salinity (SSS) field.
• Study coastal and semi-enclosed sea salinity dynamics leveraging the product's improved coverage from less restrictive land/ice contamination filters.
• Investigate systematic spatial biases in satellite data by examining the bias correction fields constructed from in situ and Aquarius-derived SSS differences.
• Model ocean surface processes using brightness temperature (TH, TV) and ocean backscatter measurements from the three radiometers and scatterometer.
• Validate other salinity models or products using this dataset's 0.5-degree gridded, near-global coverage.

Strengths

• 0.5-degree spatial resolution providing detailed global coverage
• 7-day temporal resolution enabling analysis of weekly salinity dynamics
• Uses version 5.0 (end-of-mission) Aquarius Level-2 data for input
• Corrects for systematic biases using in situ observations and a repeat-track algorithm

Limitations

• Data collection ended with the Aquarius mission; the last update was in 2015, making it temporally stale for current analysis
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and sample data details are unavailable for assessing volume
• License terms are unknown, which may restrict certain uses

Provenance

Source

International Pacific Research Center (IPRC) at the University of Hawaii School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, using NASA/CONAE AQUARIUS/SAC-D satellite data.

Collection Method

Optimal interpolation of version 5.0 Aquarius Level-2 swath data, corrected with in situ salinity observations and specific bias adjustment algorithms.

Time Range

Covers the operational period of the Aquarius mission; specific start date unknown, end circa 2015.

Freshness

Last updated 2015-06-07; 7-day repeat cycle during mission operation.

Geography

Near-global coverage at 0.5-degree resolution, with improved coverage in coastal areas and semi-enclosed seas.