We are in the process of migrating all NASA Earth science data sites into Earthdata from now until end of 2026. Not all NASA Earth science data and resources will appear here until then. Thank you for your patience as we make this transition.
Read about the Web Unification Project
Ocean Data Access and Tools
NASA data span the geophysical parameters that characterize the global ocean and the physical processes operating within its depths and at its surface. Our datasets and tools help researchers translate these interconnected data points into actionable knowledge.
Ocean Datasets
| Dataset Sort descending | Version | Platform | Instrument | Temporal Extent | Spatial Extent | Spatial Resolution | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADEOS-I OCTS Level-3 Global Mapped Chlorophyll (CHL) Data, version 2022.0 | 2022.0 | ADEOS-I | OCTS | 1996-10-31 to 1997-06-30 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4 | |
| ADEOS-I OCTS Level-3 Global Mapped Diffuse Attenuation Coefficient of Downwelling Irradiance (KD) Data, version 2022.0 | 2022.0 | ADEOS-I | OCTS | 1996-10-31 to 1997-06-30 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4 | |
| ADEOS-I OCTS Level-3 Global Mapped Inherent Optical Properties (IOP) Data, version 2022.0 | 2022.0 | ADEOS-I | OCTS | 1996-10-31 to 1997-06-30 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4 | |
| ADEOS-I OCTS Level-3 Global Mapped Particulate Inorganic Carbon (PIC) Data, version 2022.0 | 2022.0 | ADEOS-I | OCTS | 1996-10-31 to 1997-06-30 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4 | |
| ADEOS-I OCTS Level-3 Global Mapped Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) Data, version 2022.0 | 2022.0 | ADEOS-I | OCTS | 1996-10-31 to 1997-06-30 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4 | |
| ADEOS-I OCTS Level-3 Global Mapped Photosynthetically Available Radiation (PAR) Data, version 2022.0 | 2022.0 | ADEOS-I | OCTS | 1996-10-31 to 1997-06-30 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4 | |
| ADEOS-I OCTS Level-3 Global Mapped Remote-Sensing Reflectance (RRS) Data, version 2022.0 | 2022.0 | ADEOS-I | OCTS | 1996-10-31 to 1997-06-30 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4 | |
| Advanced Optical Properties Experiment (AOPEX) Program | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 2004-07-31 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE) | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 1997-06-20 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE) - Asia | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 2001-03-15 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE) for the in-land Chesapeake Bay region | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 2002-04-16 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (AMMA) | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 2006-06-25 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| Airborne asSessment of Hyperspectral Aerosol optical depth and water-leaving Reflectance Product Performance for PACE | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 2023-12-31 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| AIRS/Aqua L1B Calibration subset V005 (AIRXBCAL) at GES DISC | 005 | Aqua | AIRS | 2002-08-31 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
||
| AIRS/Aqua L2 Near Real Time (NRT) Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS-only) V006 (AIRS2RET_NRT) at GES DISC | 006 | Aqua | AIRS | 2016-10-15 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
50 Kilometers x 50 Kilometers | |
| AIRS/Aqua L2 Near Real Time (NRT) Support Retrieval (AIRS-only) V006 (AIRS2SUP_NRT) at GES DISC | 006 | Aqua | AIRS | 2016-10-15 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
50 Kilometers x 50 Kilometers | |
| AIRS/Aqua L2 Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) V006 (AIRX2RET) at GES DISC | 006 | Aqua | AIRS, AMSU-A | 2002-08-30 to 2016-09-24 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
50 Kilometers x 50 Kilometers | |
| AIRS/Aqua L2 Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU+HSB) V006 (AIRH2RET) at GES DISC | 006 | Aqua | AIRS, AMSU-A, HSB | 2002-08-30 to 2003-02-05 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
50 Kilometers x 50 Kilometers | |
| AIRS/Aqua L2 Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS-only) V006 (AIRS2RET) at GES DISC | 006 | Aqua | AIRS | 2002-08-30 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
50 Kilometers x 50 Kilometers | |
| AIRS/Aqua L2 Support Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) V006 (AIRX2SUP) at GES DISC | 006 | Aqua | AIRS, AMSU-A | 2002-08-30 to 2016-09-25 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
50 Kilometers x 50 Kilometers | |
| AIRS/Aqua L2 Support Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU+HSB) V006 (AIRH2SUP) at GES DISC | 006 | Aqua | AIRS, AMSU-A, HSB | 2002-08-30 to 2003-02-05 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
50 Kilometers x 50 Kilometers | |
| AIRS/Aqua L2 Support Retrieval (AIRS-only) V006 (AIRS2SUP) at GES DISC | 006 | Aqua | AIRS | 2002-08-30 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
50 Kilometers x 50 Kilometers | |
| AIRS/Aqua L3 8-day Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) 1 degree x 1 degree V006 (AIRX3ST8) at GES DISC | 006 | Aqua | AIRS, AMSU-A | 2002-09-01 to 2016-10-01 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees | |
| AIRS/Aqua L3 8-day Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU+HSB) 1 degree x 1 degree V006 (AIRH3ST8) at GES DISC | 006 | Aqua | AIRS | 2002-09-01 to 2003-02-08 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees | |
| AIRS/Aqua L3 8-day Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS-only) 1 degree X 1 degree V006 (AIRS3ST8) at GES DISC | 006 | 2002-09-01 to Present | 1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees |
Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Platform
SWOT provides detailed surface topography and monitors water body changes over time. The platform enables high-resolution ocean monitoring at 15-150 km spatial scales, tracking ocean currents, coastal dynamics, storm surges, and regional sea level changes. On land, SWOT measures water storage changes in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and wetlands, supporting river discharge estimates for water resource assessment.
Researchers explore using SWOT data to derive two-dimensional estimates of sea ice thickness.
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Swath Visualizer provides a visualization of two instruments’ coverage of Earth's surface: the Ka-band Radar Interferometer and altimeter.
SWOT presents opportunities and challenges in characterizing sea surface height anomalies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Earthdata Forum
Our online forum provides a space for users to browse thousands of FAQs about research needs, data, and data applications. You can also submit new questions for our experts to answer.
Submit Questions to Earthdata Forumand View Expert Responses