QuikSCAT Level 2B Ocean Wind Vectors in 12.5km Slice Composites Version 3

(QSCAT_LEVEL_2B_OWV_COMP_12)
24 Publications Cited this Dataset
Citation metrics available for years (2014-2021)
Version3
Processing Level2
Start/Stop Date1999-Oct-27 to 2009-Nov-22
Short NameQSCAT_LEVEL_2B_OWV_COMP_12
DescriptionThis dataset contains the latest reprocessed version 3 of the Level 2B science-quality ocean surface wind vector retrievals from the QuikSCAT scatterometer. The retrievals are provided on a non-uniform grid within the swath at 12.5 km pixel resolution. Higher resolution is achieved through a slice composite technique in which high resolution slice measurements from L1B data are composited into a 12.5 km wind vector cell. Version 3 processing begins with the same L1B (time-ordered backscatter) data as used in the previous processing. Version 3 has several improvements over the previous JPL processing of the QuikSCAT L2B winds: 1) changes to measurement binning, which was done in order to decrease noise and reduce gaps in the 12.5 km L2B wind retrievals, 2) an improved geophysical model function (GMF) to model the effect of wind on backscatter, 3) a neural network approach to correct rain contaminated winds speeds, 4) cross-track dependent wind speed biases were estimated and removed from the wind retrievals. The 12.5 km binning resolution enables users to obtain wind vector retrievals 10 km closer to shore when compared to the 25 km L2B dataset (only available in versions 1 and 2). More details to the processing changes and improvements are noted by Fore et al. (2014): PO.DAAC Drive at https://podaac-tools.jpl.nasa.gov/drive/files/allData/quikscat/L2B12/docs/fore_et_al_ieee_2014.pdf . Each L2B file corresponds to a specific orbital revolution (rev) number, which begins at the southernmost point of the ascending orbit. This is the official dataset produced by the QuikSCAT Project through the SeaWinds Processing and Analysis Center (SeaPAC). The Version 3 User Guide document is accessible from https://archive.podaac.earthdata.nasa.gov/podaac-ops-cumulus-docs/quikscat/open/L2B12/docs/qscat_l2b_v3_ug_v1_0.pdf.
DOI10.5067/QSX12-L2B01
MeasurementOCEANS > OCEAN WINDS > SURFACE WINDS
Swath Width1800 km
Platform/Sensor
QUIKSCAT
Platform
Name: QUIKSCAT (QUIKSCAT)
Orbit Period: 100.93 minutes
Inclination Angle: 98.6 degrees
/
SEAWINDS
SENSOR
Name: SeaWinds Scatterometer (SEAWINDS)
Swath Width: 1800.0 kilometers
Description: Spacecraft angular distance from orbital plane relative to the Equator.

ProjectQuick Scatterometer (QUIKSCAT)
Data ProviderPublisher: SeaPAC
Creator: SeaPAC
Release Place: PO.DAAC
Release Date: 2013-Mar-29
Resource: https://archive.podaac.earthdata.nasa.gov/podaac-ops-cumulus-docs/quikscat/open/L2B12/docs/qscat_l2b_v3_ug_v1_0.pdf

FormatnetCDF-4
Keyword(s)wind data, wind, ocean wind, wind speed, vector, vectors, ocean wind vector, ocean wind vectors, seawinds, quikscat, scatterometer, l2b, version 3, level 2, level 2b
Questions related to this dataset? Contact podaac@podaac.jpl.nasa.gov
Resolution
Spatial Resolution: 12.5 Kilometers x 12.5 Kilometers
Temporal Resolution: 12 Hour
 
Coverage
Region: GLOBAL
North Bounding Coordinate: 90 degrees
South Bounding Coordinate: -90 degrees
West Bounding Coordinate: -180 degrees
East Bounding Coordinate: 180 degrees
Time Span: 1999-Oct-27 to 2009-Nov-22
Granule Time Span: 1999-Oct-27 to 2009-Nov-22
Swath Width: 1800 km
 
Projection
Projection Type: Swath
Projection Detail: Along-track Grid
Ellipsoid: WGS 84
 
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 SeaPAC. 2013. QuikSCAT Level 2B Ocean Wind Vectors in 12.5km Slice Composites Version 3. Ver. 3. PO.DAAC, CA, USA. Dataset accessed [YYYY-MM-DD] at https://doi.org/10.5067/QSX12-L2B01

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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., 2014: 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.

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