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GODAS: NCEP Global Ocean Data Assimilation System

GODAS is a real-time ocean analysis and a reanalysis. It is used for monitoring, retrospective analysis as well as for providing oceanic initial conditions for the CFS. Both temperature and synthetic salinity profiles are assimilated in a 3DVAR scheme. Beginning with March 2007, altimetry sea level is assimilated.

Key Strengths:

  • Many variables are created

Key Limitations:

  • Salinity is not good
  • Large biases in velocity fields

Technical Notes

Note that the net surface heat flux are the total surface heat flux from the NCEP reanalysis 2 plus the relaxation terms.

Years of Record

2016/01 to 2016/12
temporal metadataID:
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/thredds/wcs/Datasets/godas/salt.2016.nc

Formats

Timestep

Monthly | Pentad

Data Time Period Extended?

yes, data set is extended

Domain

Global

Spatial Resolution

1x1, 0.333 latitude near equator, (40x418x360)

Ocean or Land

Ocean Only

Vertical Levels

Multiple levels

Input Data

3D-VAR: temperature & "synthetic" salinity profiles, Altimetry sea level (March 2007)

Earth system components and main variables

Ocean, 3D Velocity, SST - sea surface temperature, Salinity, heat flux, isothermal layer depth, mixed layer depth, potential temperature, salt flux, sea surface height

Data Access: Please Cite data sources, following the data providers' instructions.

  1. GODAS Monthly GRIB
  2. GODAS Pentad GRIB
  3. GODAS Monthly netCDF

  1. Saha, S. et al (2006): The NCEP Climate Forecast System. J. Climate, 19, 3483–3517.
  2. Behringer, D. W., and Y. Xue (2004), Evaluation of the global ocean data assimilation system at NCEP: The Pacific Ocean, Eighth Symposium on Integrated Observing and Assimilation System for Atmosphere, Ocean, and Land Surface, AMS 84th Annual Meeting, Was
  3. GODAS Introduction from CPC
  4. Nishida, T, (2011): Validation of the Global Ocean Data Assimilation System (GODAS) data in the NOAA National Centre for Environmental System (NCEP) by theory, comparative studies, applications and sea truth. IOTC-2011-WPB09-11

Key Figures

Click the thumbnails to view larger sizes

Thumbnails

Captions
Climate Data Guide: GODAS ocean current GODAS ocean current Januarry 2009 at 5 meter depth. (Climate Data Guide; D. Shea)
Climate Data Guide: GODAS ocean current and salinity (India) Ocean current and salinity for January, 2009 at 5 meter depth (India region). (Climate Data Guide; D. Shea)
Climate Data Guide: GODAS ocean current and salinity (Mediterranean). (Climate Data Guide; D. Shea) Ocean current and salinity for January, 2009 at 5 meter depth (Mediterranean region).
Climate Data Guide: GODAS potential temperature. (Climate Data Guide; D. Shea) Ocean potential temperature for January, 2009 at 5 meter depth.
Climate Data Guide: GODAS geometric vertical velocity. Geometric vertical velocity for January, 2009. A raster view is provided to facilitate visual view of the 40 level spacing. (Climate Data Guide; D. Shea)

Cite this page

National Center for Atmospheric Research Staff (Eds). Last modified 20 Jan 2017. "The Climate Data Guide: GODAS: NCEP Global Ocean Data Assimilation System." Retrieved from https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate-data/godas-ncep-global-ocean-data-assimilation-system.

Acknowledgement of any material taken from this page is appreciated. On behalf of experts who have contributed data, advice, and/or figures, please cite their work as well.