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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.

Visit Ocean Learning Resources to better understand the metadata for each data collection.

Ocean Datasets

View All Datasets

Dataset Sort descending	Version	Platforms	Instruments	Temporal Extent	Spatial Extent	Spatial Resolution	Data Format
GHRSST Level 2P Global Sea Surface Skin Temperature from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the NASA Terra satellite (GDS2)	2019.0	Terra	MODIS	2000-02-24	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	1000 Meters x 1000 Meters	netCDF-4
GHRSST Level 2P Global Sea Surface Temperature v2.0 from the AVHRR on the MetOp-A satellite produced by NAVO	2.0	METOP-A	AVHRR-3	2020-06-29	N: 80 S: -70 E: 180 W: -180	4000 Meters x 4000 Meters	netCDF-4
GHRSST Level 2P Global Sea Surface Temperature v2.0 from the AVHRR on the MetOp-B satellite produced by NAVO	2.0	METOP-B	AVHRR-3	2020-06-22	N: 80 S: -70 E: 180 W: -180	4000 Meters x 4000 Meters	netCDF-4
GHRSST Level 2P Global Sea Surface Temperature v2.0 from the AVHRR on the MetOp-C satellite produced by NAVO	2.0	METOP-C	AVHRR-3	2020-06-10	N: 80 S: -70 E: 180 W: -180	4000 Meters x 4000 Meters	netCDF-4
GHRSST Level 2P Global skin Sea Surface Temperature from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the Metop-A satellite (GDS V2) produced by OSI SAF	1	METOP-A	IASI	2014-11-20 to 2016-02-23	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	12000 Meters x 12000 Meters	netCDF-4
GHRSST Level 2P Global skin Sea Surface Temperature from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the Metop-B satellite (GDS V2) produced by OSI SAF	1	METOP-B	IASI	2016-01-07	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	12000 Meters x 12000 Meters	netCDF-4
GHRSST Level 2P Global Subskin Sea Surface Temperature from the Advanced Scanning Microwave Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) on the NASA Aqua Satellite	7a	Aqua	AMSR-E	2002-06-01 to 2011-10-04	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	25000 Meters x 25000 Meters	netCDF-4
GHRSST Level 2P Global Subskin Sea Surface Temperature from TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) onboard Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite	4.0	TRMM	TMI	1998-01-01 to 2015-01-11	N: 39.01 S: -39.06 E: 180 W: -179.99	25000 Meters x 25000 Meters	netCDF-4
GHRSST Level 2P Global Subskin Sea Surface Temperature version 8.2 (v8.2) from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) by REMSS	8.2	GCOM-W1	AMSR2	2012-07-02	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	25000 Meters x 25000 Meters	netCDF-4
GHRSST Level 2P NAVO 1 m Depth Global Sea Surface Temperature version 3.0 from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-20 satellite	3.0	NOAA-20	VIIRS	2024-02-20	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	750 Meters x 750 Meters	netCDF-4

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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.

Discover more from SWOT

Potential of SWOT for Sea Ice Monitoring Unveiled

Researchers explore using SWOT data to derive two-dimensional estimates of sea ice thickness.

Earthdata grapic identifier on patterned background

SWOT Swath Visualizer

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.

global sea surface height data collected by SWOT

Facing the Challenges of Using High-Resolution Sea Surface Height Observations From SWOT

SWOT presents opportunities and challenges in characterizing sea surface height anomalies.

Ocean Data Tools

View All Data Tools

Tool Sort descending	Description	Services
SeaDAS	Sea, earth, atmosphere Data Analysis System (SeaDAS) is a comprehensive image analysis package for the processing, display, analysis, and quality control of ocean color data.	Analysis, Visualization, Processing
SOTO	State of the Ocean (SOTO) is an interactive web-based tool that generates informative maps, animations, and plots that communicate and prove the discovery and analysis of the state of the oceans.	Analysis, Search and Discovery, Visualization
STREAM	STREAM is a rapid water quality monitoring tool that processes satellite imagery to create maps showing chlorophyll-a, Total Suspended Solids, and water clarity at 20-30 meter resolution.	Processing
SWOT Swath Visualizer	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.	Analysis, Data Curation, Visualization
Worldview	Worldview offers the capability to interactively browse over 1,200 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and download the underlying data.	Analysis, Search and Discovery, Visualization, Access, Comparison, Monitoring Natural Events

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Frequently Asked Questions

Earthdata Forum

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