Space-borne scatterometers

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  • CEOS-WGCV - MS Subgroup
  • The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites
  • Working Group on Calibration and Validation
  • Microwave Sensors Subgroup
Space-borne scatterometers

Project Summary

Space-borne scatterometers are well-acquainted instruments that can provide 10-meter-height ocean surface wind products efficiently with high and stable accuracy, as well as large swath coverage. Decades of data acquired from space-based wind scatterometry have provided vital contribution in short and long-term researches and applications. The existing scatterometers operated at either C or Ku-band, are being flown on different satellites, which form the virtual constellation and can provide vast and heterogeneous near real-time observations with spatial and temporal continuity and internal physical consistency in time and space. However, the consistency of the data quality of these satellites and instruments are the prerequisite for the success of this virtual constellation, while inter-calibration/comparison can offer spatial and temporal characteristics of the observing systems to enable the consistency.

The main objective of this work is to develop the standard and metrics of spaceborne radar scatterometer backscattering measurement calibration, wind retrieval approaches, wind data validation and assessment for ocean surface vector winds.

The main scope of the standard and metrics cover:

  • Calibration, including cross-calibration of L1 and L2 data;
  • Validation of scatterometer wind data;
  • Quality indices of L1 and L2 data.
The Scatterometers and Wind Retrieval Practices document is avaialble (pdf)

 

The Scatterometers biographies is avaialble (pdf)

 

Scatterometer Data Links

Satellite Scatterometer Data Access Data Level Description

Meteorological Operational satellite program (MetOp)

 Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT)

Products: product.ascat Metop: metop.ascat

 Level 3 The ASCAT sensor data are processed operationally by NOAA OSPO to estimate wind speed and direction in near real with global coverage; products are generated every 4 hours with a spatial resolution of about 25 km. NOAA CoastWatch maps and distributes the OSVW products.
SCATSAT-1 OSCAT-2 Scatsat: scatsat.netcdf Level 3 Ocean Surface Vector Winds (OSVW; magnitude and direction) from the Ocean Scatterometer (OSCAT) on SCATSAT-1. The ISRO sensor data are processed by the NOAA OSVW team to estimate wind speed and direction in near real time with global coverage, every 4 hours with a spatial resolution of about 12.5 km. NOAA CoastWatch maps and distributes the OSVW products.
HY-2B microwave scatterometer Marine Dynamic: Marine.Dynamic Level-2A Level-2B The original data of HY-2B satellite microwave scatterometer is defined as level 0 data. Level 0 data is preprocessed to generate level L1 data products, and level L1 data is retrieved to obtain level L2 data products. L2 data is divided into L2A and L2B. Among them, L2B is a standard data product, which is available for users for business distribution. The L2B data product of the microwave scatterometer is the retrieved sea surface wind vector data product stored by track in the hdf5 format. The main parameters include the longitude and latitude corresponding to each wind vector unit, the retrieved sea surface wind speed, wind direction, quality mark, and the observation time corresponding to each wind vector unit line.
CFOSAT SCAT Marine Dynamic: Marine.Dynamic Access to data: altimetry.fr Level-2A Level-2B Level-1B Level-2A NRT The Archive is distributed via the catalogue Aviso+ Cnes Data Center (dedicated credentials are necessary, please register online)
FY-3E WindRAD Fengyun Satellite Data Center: Data.Satellite Level 1 A single file of windRAD L1 product is halftrack data, and 28 files are generated every day. WindRAD L1 products are stored in HDF5 file format. The L1 product file mainly contains time code, geographic positioning results (longitude and latitude, satellite zenith angle, satellite azimuth, etc.), radiation calibration data (backscatter coefficient), quality identification and other information. L1 data provides 10km and 20km grid resolutions, which can be selected as required. C and Ku band data is stored separately, and each piece of data contains backscatter coefficient data and positioning data of HH and VV dual polarization.