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Ocean

Ocean reanalyses and state estimates, sea surface temperature analyses, 3-D temperature and salinity analyses, satellite sea level, and atmospheric forcing for ocean–sea-ice models.

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About resolution values — please read
  • Provided resolution is the grid spacing you download from the main provider, not the model's native resolution. The same dataset can come on different grids from different providers or products, so always check the grid of the file you actually downloaded.
  • km values are approximations at the equator (1° ≈ 111 km). Longitude spacing shrinks with cos(latitude): at 60° it is half (0.25° ≈ 14 km), so "28 km" is not 28 km everywhere.
  • Gaussian grids have uneven latitude spacing, and ocean model grids (tripolar, curvilinear) vary from place to place. Grids with different latitude and longitude spacing are written as 0.5°×0.625° (lat × lon).
  • Polar-stereographic and EASE2 grids of sea-ice satellite products are defined in km; the degree value in brackets is a simple conversion. The NSIDC polar stereographic grid matches its nominal spacing only at 70° latitude.
  • Grid spacing is not the size of the smallest feature actually resolved (effective resolution). Features are typically resolved only at several times the grid spacing, and interpolating to a finer grid adds no information.
  • Temporal resolution is the shortest interval provided. Intervals and whether a value is instantaneous, mean or accumulated differ between variables — see 'Available variables' on each dataset page.

Reanalyses

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
GLORYS12Reanalysis1993-01 ~ presentGlobal9 km (0.083°)1 dayAvailable
ORAS5Reanalysis1958-01 ~ presentGlobal28 km (0.25°)1 monthAvailable
ORAS6Reanalysis1950 ~ presentGlobal28 km (0.25°)1 hUpcoming
ECCO V4Reanalysis1992-01 ~ 2017-12Global111 km (1°)1 dayAvailable
SODA4Reanalysis1980 ~ 2024-06Global11 km (0.1°)5 daysAvailable
SODA3Reanalysis1980-01 ~ 2024-12Global28 km (0.25°)5 daysAvailable
NCEP GODASReanalysis1980-01 ~ presentQuasi-global111 km (1°)5 daysAvailable
TOPAZ4bReanalysis1991-01 ~ presentArctic & N. Atlantic12.5 km (0.11°)1 dayAvailable

Sea surface temperature analyses

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
OISST v2.1Observation-based analysis1981-09 ~ presentGlobal28 km (0.25°)1 dayAvailable
ERSST v6Observation-based analysis1850-01 ~ presentGlobal222 km (2°)1 monthAvailable
ERSST v5Observation-based analysis1854-01 ~ presentGlobal222 km (2°)1 monthBeing replaced
COBE-SST2Observation-based analysis1850-01 ~ presentGlobal111 km (1°)1 monthAvailable
COBE-SST3Observation-based analysis1850-01 ~ 2024-12Global28 km (0.25°)1 dayAvailable
HadISSTObservation-based analysis1870-01 ~ presentGlobal111 km (1°)1 monthBeing replaced
OSTIAObservation-based analysis1981-10 ~ presentGlobal6 km (0.05°)1 dayAvailable
HadSST4Observation-based analysis1850-01 ~ presentGlobal555 km (5°)1 monthAvailable
GHRSST MUR v4.1 ↔Observation-based analysis2002-06 ~ presentGlobal1 km (0.01°)1 dayAvailable
ESA SST CCI CDR v3Satellite product1980-01 ~ presentGlobal6 km (0.05°)1 dayAvailable

Temperature & salinity analyses

Gridded 3-D temperature and salinity fields and climatologies built from in-situ profiles (Argo, CTD, XBT, …).

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
EN4Observation-based analysis1900-01 ~ presentGlobal111 km (1°)1 monthAvailable
WOA23Observation-based analysis1955-01 ~ 2022-12Global28 km (0.25°)1 monthAvailable

Satellite products

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
DUACSSatellite product1993-01 ~ presentGlobal14 km (0.125°)1 dayAvailable
Copernicus-GlobColour ↔Satellite product1997-09 ~ presentGlobal4 km (0.04°)1 dayAvailable
MODIS Ocean (color and SST) ↔Satellite product2000-02 ~ presentGlobal4.6 km (0.04°)1 dayBeing replaced
SWOT KaRIn (L2 LR SSH · L3) ↔Satellite product2023-03 ~ presentQuasi-global2 km (0.02°)1 dayAvailable
VIIRS Ocean (color and SST) ↔Satellite product2012-01 ~ presentGlobal4.6 km (0.04°)1 dayAvailable
PACE OCI Ocean Color ↔Satellite product2024-03 ~ presentGlobal4.6 km (0.04°)1 dayAvailable
CCMP V3.1 ↔Observation-based analysis1993-01 ~ presentQuasi-global28 km (0.25°)6 hAvailable
SMAP sea surface salinity (RSS and JPL) ↔Satellite product2015-04 ~ presentGlobal70 km (0.25°)8 daysAvailable
SMOS sea surface salinity (ESA, CATDS, BEC) ↔Satellite product2010-01 ~ presentGlobal25 km (0.23°)1 dayAvailable
ESA Sea State CCI v4 ↔Satellite product1991-08 ~ 2023-12Quasi-global111 km (1°)1 dayAvailable
ESA SSS CCI v5.5 ↔Satellite product2010-01 ~ 2023-12Global50 km (0.25°)7 daysAvailable
ESA OC-CCI v6.0 ↔Satellite product1997-09 ~ presentGlobal4 km (0.04°)1 dayAvailable
Metop ASCAT ocean winds ↔Satellite product2007-01 ~ presentGlobal25 km (0.23°)1 dayAvailable
GOCI-II (GEO-KOMPSAT-2B) ↔Satellite product2020-10 ~ presentAsia0.25 km (0.0023°)1 hAvailable
AVHRR Pathfinder SST v5.3 ↔Satellite product1981-08 ~ 2023-12Global4 km (0.04°)1 dayDiscontinued
GOCI (COMS) ↔Satellite product2011-04 ~ 2021-03Asia0.5 km (0.005°)1 hDiscontinued

Model forcing

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
JRA55-doModel forcing1958-01 ~ 2024-01Global62 km (0.56°)3 hDiscontinued

↔ Also listed in another section.