Satellite Ocean Product Grids: Wind, Vapor, Cloud, and Rain Monthly Averages

Global satellite data from the DMSP F8 spacecraft provides monthly averaged ocean surface wind speed, atmospheric water vapor, cloud liquid water, and rain rate. Remote Sensing Systems produced this dataset using a unified physical algorithm refined over 20 years, with SSMIS data intercalibrated to extend the SSM/I time series. The Global Hydrology Resource Center reformatted the data into netCDF files as part of NASA's MEaSUREs Program.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term trends in ocean surface wind speeds for climate model validation.
• Studying global distributions and variability of atmospheric water vapor content.
• Investigating relationships between cloud liquid water, precipitation rates, and weather patterns.
• Calibrating and validating newer satellite sensor data against a consistent historical record.

Strengths

• Data is based on a unified, physically-based algorithm refined over 20 years.
• SSMIS data has been intercalibrated to the brightness temperature level of SSM/I, ensuring consistency in the extended time series.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and column names are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: one platform shows 2026-03-12, another shows 1991-12-31.

Provenance

Source

Remote Sensing Systems, generated for NASA's MEaSUREs Program.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data from the DMSP F8 Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) and Sounder (SSMIS), processed with a unified retrieval algorithm and reformatted to netCDF by the Global Hydrology Resource Center.

Freshness

2026-03-12 22:21:20.938114

Geography

Global