Please Note: This dataset is retired, and is displayed for archive purposes only, and may not reflect the most updated information.

However, a newer version exists.
Aquarius CAP Level 2 Sea Surface Salinity, Wind Speed & Direction Data V5.0. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5067/AQR50-2TOCS

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Aquarius CAP Level 2 Sea Surface Salinity, Wind Speed & Direction Data V3.0

(AQUARIUS_L2_SSS_CAP_V3)
DOI
Short NameAQUARIUS_L2_SSS_CAP_V3
DescriptionThe version 3.0 Aquarius CAP Level 2 product contains the official second release of the operational orbital/swath data from AQUARIUS/SAC-D mission based on the Combined Active Passive (CAP) algorithm. This Level 2 data set contains sea surface salinity (SSS), wind speed and wind direction data derived from 3 different radiometers and the onboard scatterometer. The CAP algorithm simultaneously retrieves the salinity, wind speed and direction by minimizing the sum of squared differences between model and observations. Enhancements in V3.0 include improved correction of reflected galactic radiation, geophysical model functions and cost function constraints to cross wind directions. A rain-corrected salinity data variable is also provided. This is based on collocation with SSMI/S and WindSAT data within 12.5 km radius and one hour time window of the center of Aquarius footprint. Each L2 data file covers one 98 minute orbit. The Aquarius instrument is onboard the AQUARIUS/SAC-D satellite, a collaborative effort between NASA and the Argentinian Space Agency Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE). The instrument consists of three radiometers in push broom alignment at incidence angles of 29, 38, and 46 degrees incidence angles relative to the shadow side of the orbit. Footprints for the beams are: 76 km (along-track) x 94 km (cross-track), 84 km x 120 km and 96km x 156 km, yielding a total cross-track swath of 370 km. The radiometers measure brightness temperature at 1.413 GHz in their respective horizontal and vertical polarizations (TH and TV). A scatterometer operating at 1.26 GHz measures ocean backscatter in each footprint that is used for surface roughness corrections in the estimation of salinity. The scatterometer has an approximate 390km swath.
Version3.0
Dataset TypeDEPRECATED
Questions related to this dataset? Contact podaac@podaac.jpl.nasa.gov
Please contact podaac@podaac.jpl.nasa.gov for more info.
Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. Please cite the data as follows, and cite the reference papers when it is appropriate.
Citation Simon Yueh. 2014. Aquarius CAP Sea Surface Salinity and Wind Products. Ver. 3.0. PO.DAAC, CA, USA. Dataset accessed [YYYY-MM-DD] at https://doi.org/

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Journal Reference Yueh,S.H., W.Tang,A.K.Hayashi,G.S.E.Lagerloef (2014). L-Band Passive and Active Microwave Geophysical Model Functions of Ocean Surface Winds and Applications to Aquarius Retrieval. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING,51(9), 4619-4632

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