Skip to main content

Description

This dataset contains waveglider observations from the Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment (S-MODE) field campaign. The experiment was conducted approximately 300 km offshore of San Francisco, during a pilot campaign that spanned two weeks in October 2021, and two intensive operating periods in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023. S-MODE aims to understand how ocean dynamics acting on short spatial scales influence the vertical exchange of physical and biological variables in the ocean. Three wave gliders were deployed as part of the S-MODE pilot campaign, equipped with a suite of sensors including sonic anemometers, shortwave and longwave radiometers, CTD profilers, and ADCPs. All wave gliders include an IMU that records platform orientation and motion at 20Hz. Data are available in netCDF format.

Product Summary

Platforms
Wave Glider
Instruments
CTD ,
ADCP ,
MMS ,
CURRENT METERS
Spatial Extent

N: 37.9 S: 35.7 E: -121.9 W: -125.8

Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
CARTESIAN
Temporal Extent
2022-09-20 to 2023-05-13
Data Partner
Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA (NASA/JPL/PODAAC)
Concept ID
C4102877785-POCLOUD
Data State
COMPLETE
Number of Files/Granules
17
Processing Level
4
Science Keywords
Conductivity ,
Surface Winds ,
OCEAN TEMPERATURE PROFILES ,
Ocean Circulation ,
SURFACE CURRENTS ,
Salinity ,
Air Temperature ,
Surface Pressure

Citation

Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.

Copy Citation

SMODE. (2026). S-MODE Level 4 Wavegliders Version 2 [Data set]. NASA Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/SMODE-WAVEGL4 Date Accessed: 2026-04-05

Documents

Variables

The table below lists the variables contained within a single granule for this dataset. Variables often contain observed or derived geophysical measurements collected from a variety of sources, including remote sensing instruments on satellite and airborne platforms, field campaigns, in situ measurements, and model outputs. The terms variable, parameter, scientific data set, layer, and band have been used across NASA’s Earth science disciplines; however, variable is the designated nomenclature in NASA’s Common Metadata Repository (CMR). Variable metadata attributes such as Name, Description, Units, Data Type, Fill Value, Valid Range, and Scale Factor allow users to efficiently process and analyze the data. The full range of attributes may not be applicable to all variables. Additional information on variable attributes is typically available in the data, user guide, and/or other product documentation.

For questions on a specific variable, please use the Earthdata Forum.

Name Description Units Data Type Fill Value Valid Range Scale Factor Offset
air_density_10_meters air density at 10m kg/m^3 double N/A 1 to 1.5 1 N/A
air_density_at_reference_height density of air at reference height kg/m^3 double N/A 1 to 1.5 1 N/A
air_pressure_10_meters air pressure at 10m mbar double N/A 900 to 1100 1 N/A
air_temperature_10_meters air temperature at 10m degC double N/A -10 to 40 1 N/A
air_temperature_at_reference_height air temperature at 3.0 meters degC double N/A -10 to 40 1 N/A
albedo Computed with zenith-angle varying albedo from Payne, R. E., 1972: Albedo of the Sea Surface. J. Atmos. Sci., 29, 959–970, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1972)029<0959:AOTSS>2.0.CO;2. 1 double N/A 0 to 1 1 N/A
atmospheric_buoyancy_flux positive when sensible and latent heat fluxes heat the ocean m^2/s^3 double N/A -0.01 to 0.01 1 N/A
dalton_number latent heat transfer coefficient (Dalton number) 1 double N/A 0 to 0.01 1 N/A
dissipated_energy energy dissipation by wave breaking W/m^2 double N/A 0 to 1000 1 N/A
drag_coefficient wind stress transfer (drag) coefficient at height of the wind instrument 1 double N/A 0 to 0.01 1 N/A
evaporation_rate evaporation rate mm/h double N/A 0 to 10 1 N/A
friction_velocity friction velocity that includes gustiness m/s double N/A 0 to 2 1 N/A
gustiness_velocity gustiness velocity m/s double N/A 0 to 10 1 N/A
INST_InertialSense Inertial Sense IMU configured to output position, velocities and attitude at the location of RDI ADCP. The InertialSense GPS/IMU did not meet its specs and its outputs contain erratic outliers which could not be entirely removed from the data. N/A double N/A N/A 1 N/A
INST_lower_ctd Lower SeaBird GPCTD N/A double N/A N/A 1 N/A
INST_Nortek Nortek ADCP data will be provided in a separate NetCDF file. N/A double N/A N/A 1 N/A
INST_RDI Teledyne RDI Workhorse Monitor ADCP N/A double N/A N/A 1 N/A
INST_upper_ctd UCTD failure on 2022/10/5 N/A double N/A N/A 1 N/A
INST_WXT WXT pressure sensor failure during deployment N/A double N/A N/A 1 N/A
L3_shortwave_flux Derived Level 3 input variable N/A float N/A N/A 1 N/A
L3_surface_current_east_4m Derived Level 3 input variable m s-1 float N/A N/A 1 N/A
L3_surface_current_north_4m Derived Level 3 input variable m s-1 float N/A N/A 1 N/A
L3_UCTD_salinity Level 3 input of UCTD_salinity used in flux calculations 1 float N/A 30 to 36 1 N/A
L3_UCTD_sea_water_temperature Level 3 input of UCTD_sea_water_temperature used in flux calculations degrees_C float N/A -1 to 32 1 N/A
L3_WXT_air_temperature Level 3 input of WXT_air_temperature used in flux calculations degrees_C float N/A -10 to 40 1 N/A
L3_WXT_atmospheric_pressure Level 3 input of WXT_atmospheric_pressure used in flux calculations mbar double N/A 950 to 1050 1 N/A
L3_WXT_rain_intensity Level 3 input of WXT_rain_intensity used in flux calculations mm hr-1 float N/A 0 to 100 1 N/A
L3_WXT_relative_humidity Level 3 input of WXT_relative_humidity used in flux calculations percent float N/A 0 to 100 1 N/A
L3_WXT_wind_direction Level 3 input of WXT_wind_direction used in flux calculations degree float N/A 0 to 360 1 N/A
L3_WXT_wind_speed Level 3 input of WXT_wind_speed used in flux calculations m s-1 float N/A 0 to 50 1 N/A
latent_heat_flux Latent heat flux, positive when heating the ocean W/m^2 double N/A -1000 to 500 1 N/A
latent_heat_flux_Webb_correction positive when heating the ocean W/m^2 double N/A -100 to 100 1 N/A
latent_heat_of_vaporization latent heat of vaporization is the amount of heat required to evaporate 1 kg of water J/kg double N/A 2000000 to 2500000 1 N/A
latitude latitude degrees_north float N/A -90 to 90 1 N/A
longitude longitude degrees_east float N/A -180 to 180 1 N/A
moisture_roughness_length moisture roughness length m double N/A 0 to 0.1 1 N/A
momentum_roughness_length momentum roughness length m double N/A 0 to 0.1 1 N/A
net_longwave_radiation Net infrared radiation, positive heating ocean W/m^2 double N/A -200 to 200 1 N/A
net_solar_radiation Net solar radiation, positive heating ocean W/m^2 double N/A 0 to 1500 1 N/A
neutral_air_temperature_10_meters neutral air temperature at 10m degC double N/A -10 to 40 1 N/A
neutral_air_temperature_at_reference_height neutral value of air temperature at 3.0 meters degC double N/A -10 to 40 1 N/A
neutral_dalton_number_10_meters neutral value of Dalton number at 10m 1 double N/A 0 to 0.01 1 N/A
neutral_drag_coefficient_10_meters neutral value of drag coefficient at 10m 1 double N/A 0 to 0.01 1 N/A
neutral_specific_humidity_10_meters neutral air specific humidity at 10m g/kg double N/A 0 to 30 1 N/A
neutral_specific_humidity_at_reference_height neutral value of air specific humidity at 3.0 meters g/kg double N/A 0 to 30 1 N/A
neutral_stanton_number_10_meters neutral value of Stanton number at 10m 1 double N/A 0 to 0.01 1 N/A
neutral_wind_speed neutral value of wind speed at zu m/s double N/A 0 to 50 1 N/A
neutral_wind_speed_10_meters neutral value of wind speed at 10 m m/s double N/A 0 to 50 1 N/A
neutral_wind_speed_at_reference_height neutral wind speed at 3.0 meters m/s double N/A 0 to 50 1 N/A
obukhov_length Monin-Obukhov length scale m double N/A -1000 to 1000 1 N/A
You're viewing 50 of 73