CYGNSS Level 3 MRG Science Data Record Near Real Time Version 3.2.2

(CYGNSS_L3_MRG_NRT_V3.2.2)
Version3.2.2
Processing Level3
Start/Stop Date2025-May-11 to Present
Short NameCYGNSS_L3_MRG_NRT_V3.2.2
DescriptionCYGNSS_L3_MRG_NRT_V3.2.2 This dataset contains the Near Real Time (NRT) version of the 3.2.2 CYGNSS Level 3 Merged (MRG) Science Data Record Wind Speed which combines CYGNSS storm-centric gridded (SCG) wind speeds, which are derived from the L2 Young Seas Limited Fetch (YSLF) winds for a region surrounding a given tropical cyclone (TC), with L3 Fully Developed Seas (FDS) winds away from the TC center. The L3 MRG wind speeds are obtained from the Delay Doppler Mapping Instrument aboard the CYGNSS satellite constellation and provided on a 0.1x0.1 degree latitude by longitude equirectangular grid. The NRT version of the L3 MRG product is intended to provide operational guidance via reduced latency compared to the standard CYGNSS L3 MRG product. In order to support this goal, as of v3.2.2 the averaging window has been reduced from the standard L3 MRG +/-6 hour window to +/-3 hours. The L3 MRG product was developed to eliminate the need to choose between the FDS and YSLF winds depending on sea state development and the proximity to storms by providing a product that merges winds in areas of YSLF and FDS conditions into a single wind field. The L3 MRG NRT data are provided in netCDF-4 format and will extend from the 2025 storm season through the present with an approximate latency between 2 and 24 hours, compared to an approximately 6 day latency for the standard product. A tapered weighted averaging scheme is used for the merging, centered on the 25 m/s wind radius of the storm. The algorithm produces global (+/- 40 deg latitude) wind speeds reported on a 0.1x0.1 deg grid using wind speeds collected over a 6 hour window, centered 3 hours back from the most recent sample in the wind field. In contrast to the standard L3 MRG product, the NRT netCDF files are output for a single time. New files are produced for a storm as more recent data becomes available instead of a single file containing all the available wind fields over a storm’s lifecycle. Changes from the previous v3.2.1 version include a new algorithm for determining the 34-knot wind radii and the inclusion of 50-knot wind radii. Additionally, the 'epoch time' variable is now reported in 'seconds since' the epoch instead of 'hours since' the epoch. This change enables us to capture the exact timing of the L3 MRG Near Real Time (NRT) version time steps with full precision. The CYGNSS is a NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder Mission that is intended to collect the first frequent space‐based measurements of surface wind speeds in the inner core of tropical cyclones. Made up of a constellation of eight micro-satellites, the observatories provide nearly gap-free Earth coverage using an orbital inclination of approximately 35° from the equator, with a mean (i.e., average) revisit time of seven hours and a median revisit time of three hours. This inclination allows CYGNSS to measure ocean surface winds between approximately 38° N and 38° S latitude. This range includes the critical latitude band for tropical cyclone formation and movement.
DOI10.5067/CYGNS-3N322
MeasurementOCEANS > OCEAN WINDS > SURFACE WINDS
OCEANS > OCEAN WINDS > SURFACE WINDS
Platform/Sensor
CYGNSS
Platform
Name: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS)
Orbit Period: 94.0 minutes
Inclination Angle: 35.0 degrees
/
DDMI
SENSOR
Name: Delay Doppler Mapping Instrument (DDMI)
Swath Width: 25.0 kilometers
Description: Spacecraft angular distance from orbital plane relative to the Equator.

ProjectCyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS)
Data ProviderPublisher: PO.DAAC
Creator: CYGNSS
Release Place: PO.DAAC
Release Date: 2025-Jun-13
Resource: https://cygnss.engin.umich.edu/

FormatnetCDF-4
Keyword(s)cygnss, ddm, ddmi, doppler, delay doppler, delay, specular point, wind, winds, wind speed, MRG, NRT, near real time, version 3.2.2, v3.2.2
Questions related to this dataset? Contact podaac@podaac.jpl.nasa.gov
Resolution
Spatial Resolution: 0.1 Decimal Degrees x 0.1 Decimal Degrees
Temporal Resolution: Hourly - < Daily
 
Coverage
North Bounding Coordinate: 40 degrees
South Bounding Coordinate: -40 degrees
West Bounding Coordinate: -180 degrees
East Bounding Coordinate: 180 degrees
Time Span: 2025-May-11 to Present
 
Projection
Ellipsoid: WGS 84
 
DATA CITATION GUIDELINES
DATA RECIPE
GENERAL DOCUMENTATION
ALGORITHM THEORETICAL BASIS DOCUMENT (ATBD)
DATA PRODUCT SPECIFICATION
USER'S GUIDE
PUBLICATIONS
  • https://doi.org//10.1175/BAMS-D-14-00218.1
    Ruf, C., R. Atlas, P. Chang, M. Clarizia, J. Garrison, S. Gleason, S. Katzberg, Z. Jelenak, J. Johnson, S. Majumdar, A. O'Brien, D. Posselt, A. Ridley, R. Rose, V. Zavorotny. 2015. New Ocean Winds Satellite Mission to Probe Hurricanes and Tropical Convection, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.
  • https://doi.org//10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0337.1
    Ruf, C., S. Asharaf, R. Balasubramaniam, S. Gleason, T. Lang, D. McKague, D. Twigg, and D. Waliser. 2019. In-Orbit Performance of the Constellation of CYGNSS Hurricane Satellites, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.
  • https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12741920
    Ruf, C., D. McKague, D. Posselt, S. Gleason, M.P. Clarizia, V. Zavorotny, T. Butler, J. Redfern, W. Wells, M. Morris, J. Crespo, C. Chew, E. Small, D. Pasqual, T. Wang, A. Warnock, D. Mayers, M. Al-Khaldi, A. O’Brien. 2022. CYGNSS Handbook (2nd ed.), Michigan Publishing Services, Ann Arbor, MI, ISBN 978-1-60785-549-1
  • https://doi.org//10.1109/JSTARS.2024.3379934
    Warnock, A. M., C. S. Ruf, A. Russel, M. Al-Khaldi, R. Balasubramaniam, 2024. CYGNSS Level 3 Merged Wind Speed Data Product for Storm Force and Surrounding Environmental Winds, J. Selected Topics Appl. Earth Obs.
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 CYGNSS. 2025. CYGNSS Level 3 MRG Science Data Record Near Real Time Version 3.2.2. Ver. 3.2.2. PO.DAAC, CA, USA. Dataset accessed [YYYY-MM-DD] at https://doi.org/10.5067/CYGNS-3N322

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For more information see Data Citations and Acknowledgments.

Journal Reference Warnock, A. M., C. S. Ruf, A. Russel, M. Al-Khaldi, R. Balasubramaniam. 2024. CYGNSS Level 3 Merged Wind Speed Data Product for Storm Force and Surrounding Environmental Winds, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 17. https://doi.org//10.1109/JSTARS.2024.3379934

VersionDatasetVersion DateStatus
3.2.2CYGNSS Level 3 MRG Science Data Record Near Real Time Version 3.2.22025-05-11ACTIVE2025-05-11T00:00:00.000Z
3.2.1CYGNSS Level 3 MRG Science Data Record Near Real Time Version 3.2.12024-07-21ACTIVE2024-07-21T02:31:00.000Z
3.2CYGNSS Level 3 MRG Science Data Record Near Real Time Version 3.22024-06-01ACTIVE2024-06-01T01:42:00.000Z