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Full catalog/SMODE_L4_NCOM_V1
SMODE_L4_NCOM_V1·v1·dataset

Ocean current and temperature model output (S-MODE)

S-MODE NCOM Model Output Version 1
ocean NASA POCLOUD Level 4 netCDF-4
In plain English

What it measures. Daily ocean conditions from a computer model—things like saltiness, water temperature, depth, and the push of wind on the sea surface—during a series of ocean field campaigns.

How it's made. Produced entirely by the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM), run for the dates of the S-MODE campaigns in 2021-2023; it's model output rather than direct sensor data.

How & where you'd use it. Supports research into how small-scale ocean swirls and fronts move heat, life, and other properties up and down through the water, complementing the campaign's field measurements.

What's measured

OCEANS › SALINITY/DENSITY › SALINITYOCEANS › BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY › WATER DEPTHOCEANS › OCEAN CIRCULATION › OCEAN CURRENTS › CURRENT PROFILESATMOSPHERE › ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE › SEA LEVEL PRESSUREOCEANS › OCEAN TEMPERATURE › OCEAN TEMPERATURE PROFILES

Coverage & cadence

  • Time span2021-09-01 → 2023-08-01
  • Measured byMODELS
  • Processing levelLevel 4
  • Spatial extent-130, 30, -116, 42
  • FormatsnetCDF-4
  • StatusCOMPLETE

What you can do with it

  • Watch sea-surface temperature and marine heatwaves
  • Spot algal blooms and ocean-colour shifts
  • Support fisheries and coastal monitoring
Official description

This dataset contains model output from the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) run during the Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment (S-MODE) field campaign. S-MODE aims to understand how ocean dynamics acting on short spatial scales influence the vertical exchange of physical and biological variables in the ocean. NCOM model output consists of daily files during the deployment dates of the pilot campaign in Fall 2021, IOP1 in Fall 2022, and IOP2 in Spring 2023. Data consists of ocean variables such as salinity, sea water temperature, water depth, and surface wind stress, and are available in netCDF format.

Get the data

smode_l4_ncom_v1_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="SMODE_L4_NCOM_V1",
    version="1",
    bounding_box=(-122.5, 37.2, -121.8, 37.9),  # your area (W,S,E,N)
    temporal=("2024-01-01", "2024-12-31"),       # your dates
)
files = earthaccess.open(results)   # stream straight from POCLOUD
Browsing CMR needs no login. Downloading or streaming bytes needs a free Earthdata Login + the earthaccess package.