SASSIE: Arctic Ocean Salinity and Temperature Profiles from a Robotic Kayak

Beaufort Sea observations from August to October 2022 capture the transition from summer melt to autumn ice advance. The dataset contains in situ near-surface atmospheric and upper ocean measurements collected by a Jet Surface Salinity Profiler, a remotely operated kayak traveling up to 5 knots. Data aim to understand how salinity anomalies from melting ice affect sea surface temperature, stratification, and subsequent ice growth.

Use Cases

• Analyzing salinity and temperature profiles to study meltwater-induced stratification near the ice edge.
• Correlating near-surface wind and air pressure data with observed ocean conditions.
• Investigating horizontal variability in sea surface temperature and salinity along the profiler's trajectory.
• Validating remote sensing observations of sea surface conditions with intensive in situ measurements.

Strengths

• Data originates from a focused NASA field campaign with a clear scientific objective.
• Provides coordinated in situ atmospheric and ocean measurements from a unique mobile platform.
• Covers a critical seasonal transition period (August-October 2022) in a key Arctic region.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, specific column names, and exact data volume are unavailable.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2026-04-09 vs 2022-09-26) create uncertainty about versioning.
• Documentation gaps exist, as the license is listed as 'other-license-specified' without details.

Provenance

Source

NASA SASSIE project, field campaign data collected by POCLOUD.

Collection Method

In situ measurements from a Jet Surface Salinity Profiler (Jet-SSP), a remotely operated kayak, along horizontal trajectories.

Time Range

August-October 2022

Freshness

2026-04 09 22:44:51.745744

Geography

Beaufort Sea, within approximately 200 km of the sea ice edge.