SMOS SSS L4 Southern Ocean Product v1 [Dataset]

The development of this product has been carried out within the H2020 CRiceS project (AO/1-10461/20/I-NB, grant no. 101003826), in support of improved climate monitoring capabilities and better integration of satellite salinity into ice–ocean reanalyses and numerical models. The dataset is a dedicated SSS product of the Southern Ocean, derived from the SO-FRESH SSS L3 product, but with enhanced spatial resolution. The validation confirms that the SMOS SSS L4 Southern Ocean product is well suited for a wide range of applications, including large-scale circulation analyses, freshwater flux studies, model validation, and process-based investigations near the sea-ice edge. Users interested in very fine-scale variability or near-surface stratification should complement the satellite fields with higher-frequency in situ observations. The combination of good accuracy, temporal stability, and enhanced spatial coverage makes this product a valuable resource for the Southern Ocean research community. Please, we encourage the potential users to go to the associated Technical Note of this product for further details