S-MODE: Seaglider Ocean Profiles from Sub-Mesoscale Experiment

Seaglider autonomous vehicles collected vertical profiles to depths of 1000 meters offshore of San Francisco during the Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment. The dataset contains in-situ measurements of temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, chlorophyll, and scattering to study short-scale ocean dynamics. Observations were made during two intensive field campaigns in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical exchange of heat and biological properties based on temperature and chlorophyll profiles.
• Studying sub-mesoscale ocean dynamics and mixing processes using high-resolution spatial and temporal data.
• Validating satellite-derived ocean color products with in-situ chlorophyll and scattering measurements.
• Investigating dissolved oxygen variability and its drivers in relation to physical processes.

Strengths

• Data collection uses autonomous Seagliders capable of profiling to 1000m depth, enabling detailed vertical observations.
• Focuses on the scientifically targeted sub-mesoscale, a key gap in oceanographic understanding.
• Dataset is hosted by NASA and appears on multiple government platforms, indicating formal curation.

Limitations

• Specific column names and row counts are not provided in the available metadata, limiting precise assessment of structure.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2026-04-09 on Data.gov vs. 2023-07-07 on NASA Earthdata) create uncertainty about data currency.
• Documentation gaps exist, as the license is only generically noted as 'other-license-specified'.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by autonomous Seaglider underwater vehicles during the S-MODE field campaign.

Time Range

Fall 2022 and Spring 2023

Freshness

2026-04-09 (most recent update listed, though conflicting with another source)

Geography

Approximately 300 km offshore of San Francisco, California, USA