Both datasets are provided on the same two grid patterns: 1) 0.5 degree grid in latitude and longitude, with gaps where no data are present; 2) 1.0 degree grid, with all gaps filled in by interpolation. SSHs are given in millimeters, for October 1992 to December 2001 (later grids available on-line), averaged over 10 days, referenced to the 1993-2001 mean, with tidal and inverted barometer effects removed, all instrument and path corrections are applied based on the TOPEX/POSEIDON MGDR-B, except for TMR drift and IB. SSTs are given in 0.01 degree Celsius, for January 1990 to December 2001, averaged over 5 days, using version 4.1 (both final and interim) of the Pathfinder algorithm to convert radiances to SST. The 1 degree, 5-day grids have a gaussian average whose parameters are described in the documentation.
These datasets contain data, browse images, statistics, documentation and read software. The data files are in NetCDF format; the browse images are in GIF format; the documents in HTML. JAVA software to animate the GIF images between any two times is also included.
These two datasets or "DVD Folders" are part of a larger set (DVD-ROM set), produced under the guidance of the Data Products Committee of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment. The larger set includes in-situ data on ocean temperature, salinity, tracers, currents (from current meters, ADCP, floats and drifters), sea level, surface meteorology, as well as a comprehensive overview of data collection during WOCE. This is version 3 of the WOCE datasets. These datasets replace the previous version 1 (PO.DAAC product #100, which included gridded wind data) and version 2 (PO.DAAC product #127). The complete WOCE v3 collection can be purchased from the National Oceanographic Data Center (http://www.nodc.noaa.gov). These two datasets, apart from the WOCE v3 collection, are available from the JPL PO.DAAC (http://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov).
A complementary "DVD Folder" produced by CERSAT (http://www.ifremer.fr/cersat), and also released as part of the WOCE v3 DVD-ROM set, features wind speed and stress vectors from the ERS-1 and ERS-2 scatterometers for August 1991 to January 2001, as well as ADEOS/NSCAT winds for September 1996 to June 1997 and QuikSCAT/SeaWinds for July 1999 to today. The CERSAT fields are interpolated every 1 degree (0.5 degree for QuikSCAT) over three time averaging periods - day (QuikSCAT only), week and month - with an objective mapping scheme that ensures uniform smoothness and no empty grid nodes, and include estimates of wind divergence and stress curl.
The sea surface heights from TOPEX/POSEIDON and sea surface temperature from AVHRR are available now, at