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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquarius Official Release Level 3 Wind Speed Standard Mapped Image Seasonal Climatology Data V5.0 | 5.0 | Aquarius_SAC-D | AQUARIUS_SCATTEROMETER | 2011-08-25 to 2015-06-07 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees | HDF5 |
| Aquarius Official Release Level 3 Wind Speed Standard Mapped Image Seasonal Data V5.0 | 5.0 | Aquarius_SAC-D | AQUARIUS_SCATTEROMETER | 2011-08-25 to 2015-06-07 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees | HDF5 |
| Aquarius Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) Ancillary Dataset V1.0 | 1 | SAC-D | AQUARIUS_RADIOMETER | 2011-09-01 to 2015-06-01 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF5 | |
| Arabian Sea bio-optical and biogeochemical data for ocean color validation | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 2024-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| ARCTAS Model Data | 1 | CLIMATE MODELS, GEOS-5, GEOS-Chem | Computer | 2008-03-30 to 2008-07-14 | netCDF-3, ICARTT | ||
| ARCTAS P-3B Aircraft Aerosol In-situ Data | 1 | P-3B | PSAP, APS, CPC, RR Neph, AETHALOMETER, DMT SP2, DMA, LDMA, TDMA, OPC, AMS, CCN | 2008-03-25 to 2008-07-13 | ICARTT | ||
| Argo float CTD profile data within the scope of the SPURS-1 N. Atlantic field campaign | 1.0 | ARGO | CTD | 2012-09-09 to 2014-08-21 |
N: 41 S: 23 E: -28 W: -76 |
1 Meters x 1 Meters | netCDF-4 |
| Artic Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 2005-08-09 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| Assessing marine biogenic matter Production, Export and Remineralization: from the surface to the dark Ocean | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 2022-02-01 to 2024-02-01 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| ASTER L2 Surface Kinetic Temperature V004 | 004 | Terra | ASTER | 2000-03-04 to 2026-01-16 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
90 Meters x 90 Meters | COG |
| ASTER L2 Surface Temperature V003 | 003 | Terra | ASTER | 2000-03-04 to 2025-12-15 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
90 Meters x 90 Meters | HDF-EOS2, GeoTIFF |
| Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) cruises | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 1995-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Along Track Coastal and Nearshore Bathymetry V001 | 001 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-14 to Present |
N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF5 | |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Ocean Surface Height V007 | 007 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-13 to Present |
N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF5 | |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3B Daily and Monthly Gridded Polar Sea Surface Height Anomaly V003 | 003 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-14 to 2025-02-28 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3B Daily and Monthly Gridded Polar Sea Surface Height Anomaly V004 | 004 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-14 to Present |
N: 89 S: 37 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -79 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3B Monthly 3-Month Gridded Dynamic Ocean Topography V001 | 001 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-13 to 2025-02-28 |
N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3B Monthly 3-Month Gridded Dynamic Ocean Topography V002 | 002 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-13 to Present |
N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3B Monthly Gridded Dynamic Ocean Topography V003 | 003 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-13 to 2025-03-01 |
N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3B Monthly Gridded Dynamic Ocean Topography V004 | 004 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-13 to Present |
N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Kilometers x 25 Kilometers | HDF5 |
| Autonomous Ocean Sampling Networks (AOSN) second deployment | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 2003-08-02 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| Autonomous Radiometric Validation of PACEâs OCI in the Gulf of Mexico | 0 | BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships | 2023-12-31 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
|||
| AVHRR Global Mapped Eulerian and Lagrangian Oceanography and Ecology Variables Data, version 1 | 1 | NOAA POES, METOP-A | AVHRR | 2000-01-01 to 2009-12-31 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4 | |
| AVISO Level 4 Absolute Dynamic Topography for Climate Model Comparison | 1 | JASON-1, TOPEX/POSEIDON, ENVISAT, GRACE, OSTM/JASON-2, ERS-1, ERS-2 | JASON-1 Microwave Radiometer, POSEIDON-2, TMR, ALT (TOPEX), SSALT, RA-2, GRACE-FO ACC, GRACE SCA, GRACE-FO KBR, AMR, POSEIDON-3, ERS-1 ALTIMETER, ERS-2 Altimeter | 1992-10-01 to 2010-12-31 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees | netCDF-4 |
| AVISO Level 4 Absolute Dynamic Topography for Climate Model Comparison Number of Observations | 1 | JASON-1, TOPEX/POSEIDON, ENVISAT, GRACE, OSTM/JASON-2, ERS-1, ERS-2 | JASON-1 Microwave Radiometer, POSEIDON-2, ALT (TOPEX), TMR, SSALT, RA-2, GRACE-FO ACC, GRACE SCA, GRACE-FO KBR, AMR, POSEIDON-3, ERS-1 ALTIMETER, ERS-2 Altimeter | 1992-10-01 to 2010-12-30 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1 Decimal Degrees x 1 Decimal Degrees | NETCDF |
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