MetOp-A ASCAT ESDR: Ancillary Ocean Surface Fields Version 1.1

Ancillary ocean surface fields interpolated to MetOp-A ASCAT satellite observations represent the first science quality release funded by NASA's MEaSUREs program. Model variables include ocean surface wind fields from ERA-5, precipitation from GPM IMERG, and surface currents from GlobCurrent, provided on a non-uniform grid at 12.5 km resolution. Version 1.1 includes cleaned ancillary data, improved metadata, and removed Stokes drift variables for evaluation by the NASA International Ocean Vector Winds Science Team.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ocean surface wind stress patterns based on ERA-5 wind fields interpolated to ASCAT observations
• Studying precipitation impacts on ocean surface conditions based on GPM IMERG estimations
• Investigating ocean circulation dynamics based on GlobCurrent surface current estimations
• Evaluating collocation accuracy of satellite-derived ocean variables based on cleaned ancillary data points

Strengths

• First science quality release of ancillary fields funded under the NASA MEaSUREs program
• Includes three key model variables: ERA-5 wind fields, GPM IMERG precipitation, and GlobCurrent surface currents
• Version 1.1 provides updates including cleaned ancillary data points and improved variable metadata
• Data provided at a nominal 12.5 km pixel resolution on a non-uniform grid matching ASCAT-A Level 2 sampled locations

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale analyses
• Data may reflect temporal and spatial bias inherent to the specific satellite orbits and model sources

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Model output interpolated in space and time to observations from the MetOp-A ASCAT scatterometer instrument

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:48:14.666221; freshness should be verified

Geography

Global coverage achievable using all orbits for a single day