The authors explore the accuracy of a comprehensive 46-year retrospective analysis of upper-ocean temperature, salinity, and currents. The Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) analysis is global, spanning the latitude range 62°S–62°N. The SODA analysis has been constructed using optimal interpolation data assimilation combining numerical model forecasts with temperature and salinity profiles (MBT, XBT, CTD, and station), sea surface temperature, and altimeter sea level. To determine the accuracy of the analysis, the authors present a series of comparisons to independent observations at interannual and longer timescales and examine the structure of well-known climate features such as the annual cycle, El Niño, and the Pacific–North American (PNA) anomaly pattern. A comparison to tide-gauge time series records shows that 25%–35% of the variance is explained by the analysis. Part of the variance that is not explained is due to unresolved mesoscale phenomena. Another part is due to errors in the rat... Abstract The authors explore the accuracy of a comprehensive 46-year retrospective analysis of upper-ocean temperature, salinity, and currents. The Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) analysis is global, spanning the latitude range 62°S–62°N. The SODA analysis has been constructed using optimal interpolation data assimilation combining numerical model forecasts with temperature and salinity profiles (MBT, XBT, CTD, and station), sea surface temperature, and altimeter sea level. To determine the accuracy of the analysis, the authors present a series of comparisons to independent observations at interannual and longer timescales and examine the structure of well-known climate features such as the annual cycle, El Niño, and the Pacific–North American (PNA) anomaly pattern. A comparison to tide-gauge time series records shows that 25%–35% of the variance is explained by the analysis. Part of the variance that is not explained is due to unresolved mesoscale phenomena. Another part is due to errors in the rat...