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Description

This dataset contains shipboard thermosalinograph (TSG), meteorology, and bio-optics measurements taken during 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. The TSG instrument measures the temperature and conductivity of seawater passing through a port in the hull of the ship. TSG data is calibrated using water samples compared to standard seawater and a laboratory salinometer onboard the ship. This dataset also contains chlorophyll and meteorology measurements including air temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and radiative fluxes. Data are available in netCDF format, with separate dimensions for time, time of bio-optics measurements, and time of radiometer measurements.

Product Summary

Platforms
Ships
Instruments
THERMOSALINOGRAPHS ,
FLUOROMETERS
Spatial Extent

N: 38.1 S: 36.3 E: -122.9 W: -125.4

Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
CARTESIAN
Temporal Extent
2021-08-01 to 2023-05-04
Data Partner
Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA (NASA/JPL/PODAAC)
Concept ID
C2832851810-POCLOUD
Data State
COMPLETE
Number of Files/Granules
3
Processing Level
2
Science Keywords
Salinity/Density ,
Conductivity ,
Salinity ,
Sea Surface Temperature ,
Relative Humidity ,
Atmospheric Pressure Measurements ,
Surface Temperature ,
Chlorophyll Concentration

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

S-MODE. (2022). S-MODE L2 Shipboard Thermosalinograph, Meteorology, and Bio-optics Measurements Version 1 [Data set]. NASA Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/SMODE-RVTSG Date Accessed: 2026-05-29

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
short_wave_flux Short Wave Downward Flux W m-2 double -9999 0 to 2000 1 N/A
sigma_T_bow Sea Water Sigma-T from Bow TSG Kg m-3 double -9999 23 to 26 1 N/A
sigma_T_lab Sea Water Sigma-T from Main Lab TSG Kg m-3 double -9999 23 to 26 1 N/A
sound_velocity_bow Sound Velocity in Sea Water from Bow TSG m s-1 double -9999 1400 to 1550 1 N/A
sound_velocity_lab Sound Velocity in Sea Water from Main Lab TSG m s-1 double -9999 1400 to 1550 1 N/A
SST62 Hull Temperature Sensor at Transducer Void N/A double N/A N/A 1 N/A
time Time of Meteorology/TSG Measurement days since 1950-01-01 double N/A N/A 1 N/A
time_bio Time of Bio-Optical Flowthrough Measurement days since 1950-01-01 double N/A N/A 1 N/A
time_radiometer Time of Radiometer Measurement days since 1950-01-01 double N/A N/A 1 N/A
TSG73 Thermosalinograph at Main Lab N/A double N/A N/A 1 N/A
TSG86 Thermosalinograph at Bow Thruster UCW Intake N/A double N/A N/A 1 N/A
water_temperature Water Temperature degrees_C double -9999 -2 to 30 1 N/A
water_temperature_bow Sea Water Temperature from Bow TSG degrees_c double -9999 -2 to 30 1 N/A
water_temperature_hull Sea Water Temperature Measured at the Hull degrees_c double -9999 -2 to 40 1 N/A
water_temperature_lab Sea Water Temperature from Main Lab TSG degrees_c double -9999 -2 to 30 1 N/A
wind_direction Actual Wind Direction degrees double -9999 0 to 360 1 N/A
wind_speed Actual Wind Speed m s-1 double -9999 0 to 50 1 N/A
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