NASA-SSH ENSO Indicator: Sea Surface Height Time Series

Satellite observations from missions like TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason, and Sentinel-6 underpin this El Niño-Southern Oscillation indicator. The time series is derived from cyclostationary empirical orthogonal functions applied to gridded sea surface height anomalies from 1993 to 2019. It provides a continuously updated metric for tracking ENSO variability based on ocean topography.

Use Cases

• Tracking ENSO phase evolution based on sea surface height anomalies
• Validating climate model outputs against satellite-derived oceanographic indices
• Correlating oceanic indicators with atmospheric patterns for seasonal forecasting
• Studying long-term climate variability using a time series beginning in 1993

Strengths

• Derived from a standardized, long-term satellite record spanning from 1993
• Uses a sophisticated cyclostationary empirical orthogonal function (CSEOF) methodology
• Continuously updated, with the file always containing the most recent data
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA Earthdata signals importance and reliability

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not specified in the provided metadata
• Conflicting license information: 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov vs. 'None' on NASA Earthdata
• Precise row count and file size are unknown, limiting immediate assessment of data volume

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Calculated from NASA-SSH Simple Gridded Sea Surface Height (Version 1) data using CSEOF analysis

Time Range

1993 to present (continuously updated)

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-04-10 according to Data.gov entries

Geography

Likely focuses on the tropical Pacific Ocean region relevant to ENSO