August 2011 to present global sea surface salinity data on a 0.25-degree spatial and 4-day temporal grid. The dataset is produced by the International Pacific Research Center (IPRC) and Remote Sensing Systems (RSS), derived from Aquarius, SMAP, and SMOS satellite missions using Optimal Interpolation. It provides a continuous record by concatenating and cross-calibrating measurements from these three missions.
Use Cases
- Analyzing temporal trends in global sea surface salinity from the 0.25-degree grid data to study changes in the hydrological cycle.
- Validating ocean circulation and coupled climate models using the 4-day resolution salinity fields in ice-free regions.
- Applying the large-scale bias correction derived from in-situ Argo floats to assess regional data accuracy.
- Investigating data continuity and sensor inter-calibration during the April-June 2015 overlap period between Aquarius and SMAP missions.
- Mapping spatial salinity patterns in the global ocean, excluding internal seas like the Mediterranean, for feature detection.
Strengths
- Continuous record from August 2011 to present, created by merging three satellite missions.
- High-resolution 0.25-degree spatial grid and 4-day temporal resolution.
- Uses in-situ data from Argo floats and buoys for bias correction and accuracy validation.
- Explicit cross-calibration during a two-month mission overlap ensures consistency.
Limitations
- Spatial coverage excludes internal seas such as the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea.
- Areas with sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic are not covered.
- Relies on satellite data interpolation which may smooth out fine-scale features.
Provenance
- Source
- International Pacific Research Center (IPRC) of the University of Hawaii at Manoa in collaboration with Remote Sensing Systems (RSS).
- Collection Method
- Derived from Level 2 swath data of Aquarius, SMAP, and SMOS satellites using Optimal Interpolation with a 7-day decorrelation scale.
- Time Range
- August 28, 2011 to present.
- Freshness
- Updated to present, with a 4-day product latency.
- Geography
- Global ocean, including Arctic and Antarctic areas free of sea ice.