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A new method is developed to utilize the relatively abundant satellite observations of sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height (SSH) and estimates of mixed layer depth (MLD) to create synthetic profiles of temperature and salinity for assimilation in the Navy's Global Ocean Forecasting System (GOFS). The traditional methods for creating synthetics have limitations particularly with regard to accuracy of the vertical ocean gradients. To address this issue, the Improved Synthetic Ocean Profile (ISOP) system has been developed to more correctly represent the ocean's vertical gradients using a three-layer approach accounting for the ocean's (1) surface mixed layer, (2) vertical gradients below the mixed layer through the thermocline, and (3) relatively quiescent depths. The present document covers the details of the background historical in situ observation database, the three-layer approach, the algorithms for each layer, and the global ISOP stand-alone synthetic validation.