RapidScat Level 2A Surface Flagged Sigma-0 and Attenuations in 12.5km Swath Grid Version 2.0

(RSCAT_L2A_12KM_V2.0)
Version2.0
Processing Level2
Start/Stop Date2014-Oct-03 to 2016-Aug-19
Short NameRSCAT_L2A_12KM_V2.0
DescriptionThis 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 "cell_index" 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.
DOI10.5067/RSX12-L2A20
MeasurementSPECTRAL/ENGINEERING > RADAR > SIGMA NAUGHT
Swath Width900 km
Platform/Sensor
ISS
Platform
Name: International Space Station (ISS)
Orbit Period: 92.91 minutes
Inclination Angle: 51.65 degrees
/
RapidScat
SENSOR
Name: Rapid Scatterometer (RapidScat)
Swath Width: 1100.0 kilometers
Description: Spacecraft angular distance from orbital plane relative to the Equator.

ProjectInternational Space Station Rapid Scatterometer (ISS_RapidScat)
Data ProviderPublisher: PO.DAAC
Creator: RapidScat Project
Release Place: PO.DAAC
Release Date: 2023-May-15
Resource: https://d2pn8kiwq2w21t.cloudfront.net/documents/issrapidscat_factsheet.pdf

FormatHDF
Keyword(s)international space station, space station, iss, rapidscat, rscat, iss-rapidscat, winds, radar, ocean, roughness, ocean roughness, backscatter, normalized radar cross-section, normalized radar cross section, nrcs, dB, sigma-0, sigma0, sigma naught, scatterometer, seawinds, l2a, l2, level 2, level 2a, 12.5 km, 12.5-km, 12.5, version 2, v2, version 2.0, v2.0, V2.0, 2.0
Questions related to this dataset? Contact podaac@podaac.jpl.nasa.gov
Resolution
Spatial Resolution: 12500 Meters x 12500 Meters
Temporal Resolution: Hourly - < Daily
 
Coverage
Region: GLOBAL
North Bounding Coordinate: 61 degrees
South Bounding Coordinate: -61 degrees
West Bounding Coordinate: -180 degrees
East Bounding Coordinate: 180 degrees
Time Span: 2014-Oct-03 to 2016-Aug-19
Granule Time Span: 2014-Oct-03 to 2016-Aug-19
Swath Width: 900 km
 
Projection
Ellipsoid: WGS 84
 
NameLong NameUnit
cell_azimuthcell_azimuthdeg
cell_incidencecell_incidencedeg
cell_indexcell_indexcounts
cell_latcell_latdeg
cell_loncell_londeg
frame_pulse_indexframe_pulse_indexcounts
kp_alphakp_alphan/a
kp_betakp_betan/a
kp_gammakp_gamman/a
mean_wvc_tb_inmean_wvc_tb_indeg_K
mean_wvc_tb_outmean_wvc_tb_outdeg_K
num_sigma0num_sigma0counts
num_sigma0_per_cellnum_sigma0_per_cellcounts
num_wvc_tb_innum_wvc_tb_incounts
num_wvc_tb_outnum_wvc_tb_outcounts
row_numberrow_numbercounts
sigma0sigma0dB
sigma0_attn_amsrsigma0_attn_amsrdB
sigma0_attn_mapsigma0_attn_mapdB
sigma0_mode_flagsigma0_mode_flagn/a
sigma0_qual_flagsigma0_qual_flagn/a
std_dev_wvc_tb_instd_dev_wvc_tb_indeg_K
std_dev_wvc_tb_outstd_dev_wvc_tb_outdeg_K
surface_flagsurface_flagn/a
wvc_row_timewvc_row_time
ANOMALIES
GENERAL DOCUMENTATION
DATA CITATION POLICY
PROCESSING HISTORY
Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. Please cite the data as follows, and cite the reference papers when it is appropriate.
Citation RapidScat Project. 2023. RapidScat Level 2A Surface Flagged Sigma-0 and Attenuations in 12.5Km Swath Grid Version 2.0. Ver. 2.0. PO.DAAC, CA, USA. Dataset accessed [YYYY-MM-DD] at https://doi.org/10.5067/RSX12-L2A20

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For more information see Data Citations and Acknowledgments.
Journal Reference Fore, A.G., Stiles, B.W., Chau, A.H., Williams, B.A., Dunbar, R. S., Rodriguez E., 2013: Point-wise Wind Retrieval and Ambiguity Removal Improvements for the QuikSCAT Climatological Data Set. IEEE Trans. Geoscience and Remote Sensing, doi:10.1109/TGRS.2012.2235843. [Special Note: This paper describes the wind retrieval algorithm used to process the QuikSCAT version 3 wind product. The RapidScat data was processed using the same technique.]

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