SMAP-SSS: Global Sea Surface Salinity 8-Day Running Mean

Global sea surface salinity data from the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite, processed by Remote Sensing Systems. The Level 3 product provides gridded, 8-day running mean averages at a 0.25-degree resolution, with data collection ongoing since April 1, 2015. It includes both 40KM and 70KM resolution salinity variables, with the 70KM data recommended for open ocean applications due to lower noise.

Use Cases

• Monitoring large-scale ocean salinity patterns and freshwater plumes using the global 0.25-degree gridded data.
• Analyzing temporal salinity trends for climate studies based on the 8-day running mean time series.
• Comparing 40KM and 70KM resolution data to assess noise trade-offs for specific regional applications.
• Correcting surface roughness in salinity retrieval algorithms using collocated wind speed data from WindSat.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous, ongoing global record since April 1, 2015.
• Version 4.0 includes specific enhancements like a revised 0.125-degree land correction and a sea-ice mask based on AMSR-2 with a 0.3% threshold.
• Consolidates two spatial resolutions (40KM and 70KM) into a single product for flexibility.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low; column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are not provided on any platform.
• The SMAP scatterometer malfunction on July 7, 2015, necessitates reliance on external wind data (WindSat) for corrections.
• Documentation format is listed as a union of TEXT, PDF, BIN, JPEG, ISO, suggesting potential inconsistency in ancillary files.

Provenance

Source

NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory, processed by Remote Sensing Systems (RSS).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via an L-band radiometer (1.41 GHz) and radar (1.26 GHz), with data processed into Level 3 gridded products.

Time Range

2015-04-01 to ongoing

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:26:23.756309

Geography

Global