Daily Ocean Wind, Vapor, Cloud, and Rain Grids from DMSP F15

Satellite-derived daily grids provide ocean surface wind speed, atmospheric water vapor, cloud liquid water, and rain rate. Data is generated by Remote Sensing Systems using a unified physical algorithm developed over 20 years and reformatted into netCDF by NASA's Global Hydrology Resource Center. The dataset extends a long-term time series through careful intercalibration of SSM/I and SSMIS sensor data.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ocean surface wind speed patterns for meteorological studies.
• Tracking atmospheric water vapor content for climate modeling.
• Studying cloud liquid water distribution and its role in Earth's energy budget.
• Monitoring rain rate over oceans for precipitation and storm analysis.
• Using intercalibrated SSM/I and SSMIS brightness temperatures for consistent long-term data series.

Strengths

• Algorithm is the product of 20 years of refinements, improvements, and verifications.
• SSMIS data are intercalibrated to the brightness temperature level of previous SSM/I, ensuring continuity.
• Dataset is part of NASA's MEaSUREs Program, indicating a high standard of production.

Limitations

• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between sources (2011-12-31 and 2026-03-12).
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column names are not provided by any source.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' or 'None' across platforms.

Provenance

Source

Remote Sensing Systems (RSS), processed by NASA's Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC DAAC).

Collection Method

Generated from Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) and Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) data using a unified, physically based algorithm.

Freshness

Most recent update listed is 2026-03-12 21:54:30.591172, though this conflicts with an earlier 2011 date.

Geography

Global ocean coverage.