This data set contains mapped and gridded data from TOPEX/Poseidon (NASA/CNES), Jason-1 (CNES/NASA) and from ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat (ESA). At any given time data from all available satellites is included in the mapped and gridded data product. At times only data for TOPEX/Poseidon is available. This is indicated in one of the fields in the data file. Up to about mid-2003 the data is from TOPEX/Poseidon and ERS-1/2. The next generation of satellites (Jason-1 and Envisat) take over after that. The data is on a 1/3rd degree Mercator grid - the longitude grid spacing is always 1/3rd degree. The latitude grid spacing is 1/3rd of a degree at the equator, but gets smaller with distance from the equator. This data set is in a relatively easy to use format. The data was provided by Aviso/CNES in France and has been reformatted into a netCDF file at CSIRO Marine Research in Hobart. Available on-line on the CSIRO Marine Research network; also available to outside users on request.