The ocean covers 71% of Earth's surface, making it the planet's largest solar energy collector. This drives atmospheric processes and maintains global energy balance through the ocean heat budget—the balance of energy gains and losses including solar radiation, heat radiation from the ocean, and heat transfer through evaporation, convection, and currents.

Ocean surface heat fluxes significantly influence atmospheric phenomena. Traditional measurements from buoys and towers provide limited spatial and temporal coverage. Satellites help fill these gaps by measuring wind, temperature, and humidity to calculate heat fluxes. The Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) provides improved coverage over tropical and subtropical oceans in nearly all weather conditions.

NASA's CYGNSS and other mission datasets enable researchers to study ocean heat absorption and release, helping us understand ocean function, health, and global climate impacts.