| AMSRE | Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer – E (of EoS Aqua) |
| AMSR2 | Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 |
| AOML | Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory |
| Aquarius | Salinity mission (NASA/CONAE) |
| ASCAT | Advanced SCATterometer (of MetOp) |
| ATBD | Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document |
| AVHRR | Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer |
| BEC | Barcelona Expert Center |
| BLT | Barrier Layer Thickness |
| CATDS | Centre Aval et de Traitement des Données SMOS |
| CCI-SSS | Climate Change Initiative (CCI) is an ESA project aiming to produce the longest SSS Climate Data Record |
| CIMSS | Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies |
| CMIS | Conical Microwave Imager/Sounder |
| CMORPH | CPC MORPHing technique |
| CNES | Centre National d’études Spatiales |
| CONAE | Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales |
| CEC | Centre d’Expertise du CATDS |
| CSIC | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas |
| CSV | Comma-separated values |
| CTD | Instrument used to measure the conductivity, temperature, and pressure of seawater |
| DM | Delayed Mode |
| DMSP | Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (of the USA) |
| DPGS | Data Processing Ground Segment |
| DPM | Detailed Processing Model |
| ECMWF | European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast |
| ESA | European Space Agency |
| ESL | Expert Support Laboratory |
| ESR | Earth & Space Research |
| EO | Earth Observation |
| EU | European Union |
| ESR | Earth and Space Research |
| ETC | Extra-Tropical Cyclone |
| FTP | File Transfer Protocol |
| GHRSST | GODAE High Resolution SST |
| GMF | Geophysical Model Function |
| GSFC | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| GOSUD | Global Ocean Surface Underway Data |
| GTMBA | The Global Tropical Moored Buoy Array |
| Hs | Significant Wave Height (also SWH) |
| ICM | Institut de Ciències cel Mar |
| Ifremer | Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer |
| IPEV | Institut polaire français Paul-Émile Victor |
| IPRC | International Pacific Research Center |
| IQR | Interquartile range |
| ISAS | In Situ Analysis System |
| ITT | Invitation To Tender |
| IR | Infra Red |
| JPL | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| KO | Kick-Off |
| L2 | Level-2 |
| L3 | Level-3 |
| L4 | Level-4 |
| LEGOS | Laboratoire d’Etudes en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales |
| LOCEAN | Laboratoire d’Océanographie et du Climat : Expérimentations et Approches Numériques |
| LOPS | Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale |
| MDB | Match-up DataBase |
| MEOP | Marine Mammals Exploring the Oceans Pole to Pole |
| MLD | Mixed Layer Depth |
| MIRAS | Microwave Imaging Radiometer by Aperture Synthesis |
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NCEI | National Centers for Environmental Information |
| NCEP | National Centers for Environmental Prediction |
| NDBC | National Data Buoy Center |
| NHC | NOAA National Hurricane Center |
| NOAA | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| NOC | National Oceanography Centre |
| NOP | Numerical Ocean Prediction |
| NRT | Near Real Time |
| NTAS | Northwest Tropical Atlantic Station |
| NWP | Numerical Weather Prediction |
| NWS | National Weather Service |
| OI | Optimal interpolation |
| OPS | Observation Processing System (of Met Office) |
| OS | Ocean Salinity |
| OTT | Ocean Target Transformation |
| PALS | Passive/Active L-band Sensor |
| Pi-MEP | Pilot Mission Exploitation Platform |
| PIRATA | Prediction and Researched Moored Array in the Atlantic |
| PM | Progress meeting |
| PMR | Passive Microwave Radiometry |
| PMSL | Pressure at Mean Sea Level |
| PSS | Practical Salinity Scale |
| QC | Quality Control |
| RAMA | Research Moored Array for African-Asian-Australian Monsoon Analysis and Prediction |
| REMSS | Remote Sensing Systems |
| RMS | Root Mean Square |
| RR | Rain Rate |
| SAG | Science Advisory Group |
| SAMOS | Shipboard Automated Meteorological and Oceanographic System |
| SAP | Scientific Analysis Plan |
| SISS | Satellite & In Situ Salinity |
| SLA | Sea Level Anomaly |
| SMAP | Soil Moisture Active Passive |
| SM | Soil Moisture |
| SMOS | Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (mission) |
| SoW | Statement of Work |
| SPURS | Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study |
| SSM/I | Special Sensor Microwave Imager (of DMSP) |
| SSMIS | Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder |
| SST | Sea Surface Temperature |
| SSS | Sea Surface Salinity |
| SSSinsitu | In situ SSS data considered for the match-up |
| SSSSAT | Satellite SSS product considered for the match-up |
| ΔSSS | Difference between satellite and in situ SSS at colocalized point (ΔSSS = SSSSAT - SSSinsitu) |
| STD | Standard deviation |
| Survostral | SURVeillance de l'Océan AuSTRAL (Monitoring the Southern Ocean) |
| TAO | Tropical Atmosphere Ocean |
| TC | Tropical Cyclone |
| TSG | Thermosalinograph |
| TMI | TRMM Microwave Imager |
| TRMM | Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission |
| UM | User Manual |
| URL | Universal Resource Locator |
| WHOI | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution |
| WHOTS | WHOI Hawaii Ocean Time-series Station |
