Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-89
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-89
23 Feb 2026
 | 23 Feb 2026
Status: this preprint is currently under review for the journal ESSD.

A global eddy-collocated temperature and salinity profile dataset (v1.0): integrating multiplatform in situ observations with satellite-detected mesoscale eddies

Qingyou He, Yunchen Liu, Weikang Zhan, Yinghui He, Zhenting Mo, Peiya Zhang, Shuqun Cai, and Haigang Zhan

Abstract. Mesoscale eddies are a fundamental component of ocean circulation and play a crucial role in shaping the three-dimensional distribution of ocean temperature and salinity. However, observational constraints have long limited systematic, global-scale quantification of eddy-induced thermohaline variability. Here, we present a global eddy-collocated historical temperature and salinity profile dataset spanning 29 years (1993–2021), constructed by integrating in situ hydrographic profile observations with satellite-derived mesoscale eddy tracking products. The dataset contains 2.35 million quality-controlled temperature-salinity profiles, each collocated with the nearest mesoscale eddy on the sampling day that may have influenced the observed water column. The profiles provide broad global coverage, with most 2°×2° grid boxes containing more than 150 observations, enabling statistically robust analyses from regional to global scales. Validation against well-documented regional eddy signatures shows that the dataset consistently reproduces well-established eddy-induced temperature and salinity anomaly structures across diverse ocean regions. Example applications demonstrate the dataset’s capability to investigate the spatial heterogeneity and vertical extent of eddy-induced thermohaline anomalies, eddy impacts on mixed-layer depth and stratification, eddy contributions to subsurface extreme temperature events, and eddy-driven heat and material transports. This dataset provides a comprehensive observational foundation for advancing quantitative assessments of mesoscale eddy impacts on regional to global ocean physical environment, heat budgets, and climate change.

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Qingyou He, Yunchen Liu, Weikang Zhan, Yinghui He, Zhenting Mo, Peiya Zhang, Shuqun Cai, and Haigang Zhan

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Qingyou He, Yunchen Liu, Weikang Zhan, Yinghui He, Zhenting Mo, Peiya Zhang, Shuqun Cai, and Haigang Zhan

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Codes and data for "A global eddy-collocated temperature and salinity profile dataset (v1.0): integrating multiplatform in situ observations with satellite-detected mesoscale eddies" Qingyou He https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18590979

Qingyou He, Yunchen Liu, Weikang Zhan, Yinghui He, Zhenting Mo, Peiya Zhang, Shuqun Cai, and Haigang Zhan
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Latest update: 23 Feb 2026
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Short summary
We combined nearly 30 years of global ocean temperature and salinity profile measurements with satellite observations of swirling currents known as mesoscale eddies. By linking 2 million profiles to nearby eddies, we built a large dataset that reveals how these features reshape ocean temperature and salinity structure, alter mixing, and transport heat and salt. The dataset supports better assessments of oceanic thermohaline environment variations, extreme events, and climate-related changes.
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