Ocean Wind, Vapor, Cloud, and Rain Grids from DMSP F14 Satellite

Global satellite data provides 3-day averaged ocean surface wind speed, atmospheric water vapor, cloud liquid water, and rain rate. The dataset is produced by Remote Sensing Systems under NASA's MEaSUREs Program using a unified algorithm refined over 20 years. Data from the DMSP F14 satellite is reformatted into netCDF files by the Global Hydrology Resource Center.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ocean surface wind patterns for climate and weather studies.
• Tracking global atmospheric water vapor content and distribution.
• Investigating relationships between cloud liquid water and precipitation rates.
• Validating and calibrating numerical weather prediction and climate models using satellite-retrieved geophysical variables.

Strengths

• Data products are based on a unified, physically-based algorithm refined and verified over a 20-year development period.
• SSMIS data is intercalibrated with previous SSM/I brightness temperatures, ensuring consistency for long-term time series analysis.
• Dataset is part of NASA's MEaSUREs Program, indicating a methodical, sustained production effort.

Limitations

• Conflicting last-updated dates exist between sources (2008-08-08 on NASA Earthdata and 2026-03 12 on Data.gov).
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column names are not provided by any source.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.

Provenance

Source

Remote Sensing Systems (RSS), produced for NASA's MEaSUREs Program.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the DMSP F14 Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), with data processed using a unified retrieval algorithm and reformatted to netCDF.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-03-12 22:22:37.880263

Geography

Global ocean coverage.