Data coverage
This dataset contains the ISS-RapidScat Version 2.0 Level 1B geo-located Sigma-0 measurements and antenna pulse "egg" and "slice" geometries as derived from ephemeris and the Level 1A dataset. The pulse "egg" represents the complete footprint of the pulse, which has a spatial geometry of approximately 25 km by 35 km. There are 8 slices that constitute the range-binned components of a pulse each of which has a spatial geometry of approximately 25 km by 7 km. The orientation of the long dimension of the slices varies with the rotation of the antenna and thus does not align with the along/across track orientation of the wind vector grid in the L2B/L2A products. Version 2.0 represents a complete historical re-processing of the L1B data record and provides a calibration which is consistent across the several signal to noise ratio states experienced by RapidScat throughout its operation period (see the technical note for Version 2.0 under Documentation). The Version 2.0 is also the dataset used to derive the Version 2.0 wind products (L2B). Data are provided in single-orbit files in HDF-4 format. This dataset is intended for expert use only. If you must use RapidScat Sigma-0 data but you are unsure about how to use the L1B data record, please consider using either of the following L2A datasets: 1) https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/RSCATL2A25KMV2.0 or 2) https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/RSCATL2A12KMV2.0. RapidScat is a Ku-band dual beam circular rotating scatterometer retaining much of the same hardware and functionality of QuikSCAT, with exception of the antenna sub-system and digital interface to the ISS Columbus module, which is where RapidScat is mounted. The NASA mission is officially referred to as ISS-RapidScat. Unlike QuikSCAT, ISS-RapidScat is not in sun-synchronous orbit, and flies at roughly half the altitude with a low inclination angle that restricts data coverage to the tropics and mid-latitude regions; the extent of latitudinal coverage stretches from approximately 61 degrees North to 61 degrees South. Furthermore, there is no consistent local time of day retrieval. RSCATL2A12KMV2.0 This dataset contains the Version 2.0 ISS-RapidScat on Level 2A 12.5 km science data record, which provides surface-flagged sigma-0 in 12.5 km Wind Vector Cells processed using the pulse "slice" Sigma-0 data provided by the Level 1B dataset. Due to the circular scan of the RapidScat instrument the expected number of Sigma-0 cells per WVC is not constant. To minimize the L2A data volume, the Sigma-0 cell data are stored as "lists" for each WVC row, with each list indexed by a "cellindex" array to indicate the cross-track WVC membership of the data. Each cell is then checked for land or ice and flagged accordingly. Attenuation corrections for each Sigma-0 measurement are also provided. Version 2.0 represents a complete historical re-processing of the L2A data record and provides a calibration which is consistent across the several signal to noise ratio states experienced by RapidScat throughout its operation period (see the technical note for Version 2.0 under Documentation). It is also derived from the same L1B V2.0 product that was used to generate Version 2.0 wind products (L2B). Data are provided in single-orbit files in HDF-4 format. RapidScat is a Ku-band dual beam circular rotating scatterometer retaining much of the same hardware and functionality of QuikSCAT, with exception of the antenna sub-system and digital interface to the International Space Station (ISS) Columbus module, which is where RapidScat is mounted. The NASA mission is officially referred to as ISS-RapidScat. Unlike QuikSCAT, ISS-RapidScat is not in sun-synchronous orbit, and flies at roughly half the altitude with a low inclination angle that restricts data coverage to the tropics and mid-latitude regions; the extent of latitudinal coverage stretches from approximately 61 degrees North to 61 degrees South. Furthermore, there is no consistent local time of day retrieval. RSCATL2A25KMV2.0 This dataset contains the Version 2.0 ISS-RapidScat Level 2A 25km science data record, which provides surface-flagged sigma-0 in 25km Wind Vector Cells processed using the pulse "egg" Sigma-0 data provided by the Level 1B dataset. Due to the circular scan of the SeaWinds instrument the expected number of Sigma-0 cells per WVC is not constant. To minimize the L2A data volume, the Sigma-0 cell data are stored as "lists" for each WVC row, with each list indexed by a "cellindex" array to indicate the cross-track WVC membership of the data. Each cell is then checked for land or ice and flagged accordingly. Attenuation corrections for each Sigma-0 measurement are also provided. Version 2.0 represents a complete historical re-processing of the L2A data record and provides a calibration which is consistent across the several signal to noise ratio states experienced by RapidScat throughout its operation period (see the technical note for Version 2.0 under Documentation). It is also derived from the same L1B V2.0 product that was used to generate Version 2.0 wind products (L2B). Data are provided in single-orbit files in HDF-4 format. RapidScat is a Ku-band dual beam circular rotating scatterometer retaining much of the same hardware and functionality of QuikSCAT, with exception of the antenna sub-system and digital interface to the International Space Station (ISS) Columbus module, which is where RapidScat is mounted. The NASA mission is officially referred to as ISS-RapidScat. Unlike QuikSCAT, ISS-RapidScat is not in sun-synchronous orbit, and flies at roughly half the altitude with a low inclination angle that restricts data coverage to the tropics and mid-latitude regions; the extent of latitudinal coverage stretches from approximately 61 degrees North to 61 degrees South. Furthermore, there is no consistent local time of day retrieval. RSCATLEVEL2BOWVCLIM12V1 This dataset contains the RapidScat Level 2B 12.5km Version 1.0 Climate quality ocean surface wind vectors. The Level 2B wind vectors are binned on a 12.5 km Wind Vector Cell (WVC) grid and processed using the using the "full aperture" normalized radar cross-section (NRCS, a.k.a. Sigma-0) from the L1B dataset. RapidScat is a Ku-band dual beam circular rotating scatterometer retaining much of the same hardware and functionality of QuikSCAT, with exception of the antenna sub-system and digital interface to the International Space Station (ISS) Columbus module, which is where RapidScat is mounted. The NASA mission is officially referred to as ISS-RapidScat. Unlike QuikSCAT, ISS-RapidScat is not in sun-synchronous orbit, and flies at roughly half the altitude with a low inclination angle that restricts data coverage to the tropics and mid-latitude regions; the extent of latitudinal coverage stretches from approximately 61 degrees North to 61 degrees South. Furthermore, there is no consistent local time of day retrieval. This dataset is provided in a netCDF-3 file format that follows the netCDF-4 classic model (i.e., generated by the netCDF-4 API) and made available via Direct Download and OPeNDAP. For data access, please click on the "Data Access" tab above. This climate quality data set differs from the nominal "slice" L2B dataset as follows: 1) it uses full antenna footprint measurements (~20-km) without subdividing by range (~7-km) and 2) the absolute calibration has been modified for the two different low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) mode data sets: LowSNR1 14 August 2015 to 18 September 2015; LowSNR2 6 October 2015 to 7 February 2016. The above enhancements allow this dataset to provide consistent calibration across all SNR states. Low SNR periods and other key quality control (QC) issues are tracked and kept up-to-date in PO.DAAC Drive at https://archive.podaac.earthdata.nasa.gov/podaac-ops-cumulus-docs/rapidscat/open/L1B/docs/revtime.csv. If you have any questions, please visit our user forums: https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/forum/. RSCATLEVEL2BOWVCLIM1
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