S-MODE NCOM: Ocean Model Output for Sub-Mesoscale Dynamics

Navy Coastal Ocean Model output from the Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment captures daily ocean state variables across three field campaigns. Data includes salinity, sea water temperature, water depth, and surface wind stress to study vertical exchange processes. Files are provided in netCDF format for the pilot campaign in Fall 2021, IOP1 in Fall 2022, and IOP2 in Spring 2023.

Use Cases

• Validating sub-mesoscale ocean models against observational data from the S-MODE campaign.
• Analyzing correlations between surface wind stress and ocean current profiles.
• Studying vertical mixing processes using concurrent temperature and salinity profiles.
• Mapping bathymetric influences on local ocean circulation patterns.

Strengths

• Covers three distinct observational periods from Fall 2021 to Spring 2023, providing temporal context.
• Includes multiple key physical ocean variables (salinity, temperature, depth, wind stress) in a standard netCDF format.
• Produced by NASA for a specific, peer-reviewed field campaign (S-MODE), indicating scientific rigor.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided in any source metadata.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.
• Last updated dates conflict between platforms (2023-08-01 vs. 2026-04-09), creating uncertainty about data currency.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Model output from the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) run for the S-MODE field campaign.

Time Range

Fall 2021 to Spring 2023

Freshness

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

Geography

Ocean region of the Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment (specific location not detailed)