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

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Dataset Sort descending	Version	Platform	Instrument	Temporal Extent	Spatial Extent	Spatial Resolution	Data Format
Measurements made off the western African coast in 1997	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1997-01-03 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements made onboard the R/V MIRAI between 2000 and 2003	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		2000-04-29 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements near Bermuda in 2009	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		2009-09-24 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements near Cape Hatteras in 2010	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		2010-10-11 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements near Nauru, Micronesia in 1999	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1999-06-11 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements near Santa Barbara, California in 2009	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		2009-11-19 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements near the Orinoco River outflow region, 1998 to 2000	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1998-06-24 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements off James Ross Island, Antarctica	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		2005-01-19 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements off the Argentinian coast near Drakes Passage	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		2008-12-16 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements off the coast of Baja California onboard R/V Melville in 1999	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1999-10-01 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements off the San Diego, Californian coast	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		2007-08-21 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements off the Virginia coast in 2005	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		2005-03-30 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements onboard the Russian R/V Akademik Sergey Vavilov	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1998-08-12 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements onboard the Turkish research vessel Bilim	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1999-10-06 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements stretching across the Pacific Ocean to the Hawaiian Islands from 1998 to 1999	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1998-09-22 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements taken in the Aegean and Black seas onboard the R/V Akwanavt	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1997-10-07 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements taken in the North Sea in 1994	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1994-07-12 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements taken off Cornwallis Island off Resolute	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1994-08-14 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements taken off The Netherlands in the North Sea in 1998	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1998-04-07 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements taken off the New England Coast in 1997	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1997-11-11 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements taken onboard R/V Kaimimoana between 1999 and 2002	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1999-07-15 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements taken onboard the R/V Oceania during 1998 to 2000	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1998-06-22 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements used to develop the Bio-Optical Algorithm (BOA)	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1991-05-17 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Measurements using the SIMBAD radiometer by the Laboratoire dOptique Atmospherique (LOA)	0	BUOYS, MOORINGS, Water-based Platforms, AUVS, ROVS, Ships		1996-10-13 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
MEaSUREs BedMachine Antarctica V001	1	MODELS	NOT APPLICABLE	1970-01-01 to 2019-10-01	N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	500 Meters x 500 Meters	netCDF-4

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.

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

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Tool Sort descending	Description	Services
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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