RapidScat Level 2B Ocean Wind Vectors in 12.5km Slice Composites Version 1.1
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DOI10.5067/RSX12-L2B11
Short NameRSCAT_LEVEL_2B_OWV_COMP_12_V1.1
DescriptionThis dataset contains the RapidScat Level 2B 12.5km Version 1.1 science-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 Level 2A Sigma-0 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 FTP and OPeNDAP. For data access, please click on the "Data Access" tab above. This Version 1.1 dataset differs from the previous Version 1 dataset as follows: 1) A new neural network approach for high wind speeds provided rain corrections for the "retrieve_wind_speed" variable for wind speeds in excess of 15 m/s. 2) The data variables containing the number of measurements of each type for each wind vector cell have been corrected; these variables include "number_in_aft", "number_in_fore", "number_out_aft", and "number_out_fore". 3) The "wind_obj" data variable has been corrected to include the proper data for the conditional probability for the objective DIRTH function values. It is advised for users to avoid using the "wind_obj" variable in this dataset since it is minimally applicable and meant primarily for quality assurance; for users who wish to access the objective function values for each ambiguity, it is suggested to use only the "ambiguity_obj" variable. The "wind_obj" variable contains DIRTH probabilities (which are derived form the "ambiguity_obj" objective function values) in the range of 0 to 1 indicating the conditional probability that the true direction is within + or - 2.5 degrees of the retrieved wind direction given the observed backscatter measurements in the cell. If you have any questions, please contact podaac@podaac.jpl.nasa.gov
Version1.1
Dataset TypeOPEN
MeasurementOCEANS > OCEAN WINDS > SURFACE WINDS > OCEAN SURFACE WIND VECTORS
Processing Level2
CoverageRegion: Global
Northernmost Latitude: 61 degrees
Southernmost Latitude: -61 degrees
Westernmost Longitude: 0 degrees
Easternmost Longitude: 360 degrees
Time Span: 2014-Oct-03 to 2016-Mar-10
Granule Time Span: 2014-Oct-03 to 2016-Mar-10
ResolutionSpatial Resolution: 12.5 km (Along) x 12.5 km (Across)
ProjectionType: Swath
Detail: Along-track Grid
Ellipsoid: WGS 84
Latency hours
Swath Width900000 m
Sample Frequency89
Temporal Repeat (Nominal)12 Hour
Temporal Repeat (Min)1.5 Hour
Temporal Repeat (Max)3 Day
Platform/Sensor
ISS
Platform
Name: International Space Station (ISS)
Orbit Period: 92.91 minutes
Inclination Angle: 51.65 degrees
Ascending Node: 1970-Jan-01 00:00:00
/
RapidScat
SENSOR
Name: Rapid Scatterometer (RapidScat)
Swath Width: 1100 km
Description: The ISS RapidScat instrument is a speedy and cost-effective replacement for NASA's QuikScat Earth satellite, which monitored ocean winds to provide essential measurements used in weather predictions, including hurricane monitoring.

ProjectInternational Space Station Rapid Scatterometer (ISS_RapidScat)
Data ProviderCreator: RapidScat Project
Release Place: PO.DAAC
Release Date: 2015-May-04
Resource: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/fact_sheets/issrapidscat_factsheet.pdf
Keyword(s)international space station, space station, iss, rapidscat, rscat, iss-rapidscat, winds, wind, ocean, ocean wind, ocean winds, ocean surface wind vectors, surface wind vectors, wind speed, wind direction, scatterometer, quikscat, seawinds, l2b, l2, level 2, level 2b, version 1, v1, version 1.1, v1.1, V1.1, 1.1
Persistent IDPODAAC-RSX12-L2B11
Questions related to this dataset? Contact podaac@podaac.jpl.nasa.gov
User's Guide
RapidScat L2B NetCDF Guide Documenthttps://podaac-tools.jpl.nasa.gov/drive/files/allData/rapidscat/L2B12/docs/rscat_l2b_user_guide_v1.pdf
User Guide
Project Materials
ISS-RapidScat Mission Information Pagehttps://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/RapidScat/
Website providing more detailed information about the ISS-RapidScat Mission.
ISS-RapidScat Fact Sheethttp://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/fact_sheets/issrapidscat_factsheet.pdf
Summary of Facts on the ISS-RapidScat Mission
Additional Sites
eoPortal Directory for ISS-RapidScathttps://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/i/iss-rapidscat
Detailed background information on the ISS-RapidScat mission published by the eoPortal.
Known Issues
revtime.csvhttps://podaac-tools.jpl.nasa.gov/drive/files/allData/rapidscat/ancillary/revtime.csv
ASCII CSV orbital revolution time tables with quality assurance information.
RapidScat Scheduled Outageshttp://manati.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/rscat_images/monitor/RapidScat_Scheduled_Outages.txt
Text file containing reverse chronological list of future scheduled outages and past outages. A start/stop date/time and description is provided for each outage. This list is maintained by NOAA/NESDIS to service near-real-time data users.
Citation RapidScat Project. 2015. RapidScat Level 2B Ocean Wind Vectors in 12.5km Slice Composites Version 1.1. Ver. 1.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA. Dataset accessed [YYYY-MM-DD] at https://doi.org/10.5067/RSX12-L2B11.

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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.]