SWOT Simulated Nadir SSH: GLORYS Reanalysis for Mission Development

Simulated sea surface height (SSH) data formatted to match the planned Level-2 product from the SWOT mission's Poseidon 3C nadir altimeter. The dataset is derived from the Global Ocean Reanalysis and Simulations (GLORYS) model and is intended to support the development and testing of data processing systems before the SWOT mission becomes operational. It provides a realistic proxy for future satellite altimetry data to benefit algorithm development and user preparation.

Use Cases

• Testing and validating SWOT Level-2 data processing algorithms based on simulated nadir altimeter format.
• Developing user workflows and software for future operational SWOT SSH data based on the prescribed Product Description Document (PDD) format.
• Comparing model-based ocean reanalysis (GLORYS) outputs with a standardized satellite data product structure.
• Assessing the utility of simulated data for scientific applications in sea surface topography research.

Strengths

• Data is structured to the official SWOT Level-2 SSH Product Description Document (PDD), ensuring relevance for mission development.
• Derived from the established GLORYS global ocean reanalysis and simulation system.
• Dataset is hosted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, indicating authoritative provenance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided on any platform.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between sources (2015-12-31 on NASA Earthdata vs. 2026-04-09 on Data.gov), creating uncertainty about data currency.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Simulation derived from the Global Ocean Reanalysis and Simulations (GLORYS) model, rendered into the SWOT L2 SSH format.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:46:37.527077

Geography

Global ocean coverage, inferred from the use of the GLORYS model.