NSCAT

• L20
  The data is stored in a NetCDF format. The following is an example dump (of the header) from the 113^th day of 1997. The header applies to any day in the data set, and it describes the data format and content.
  To save space, the data has been stored with a scale factor and an offset. To convert the data to physical units, multiply the retreived value by the scale factor and then add the offset. The missing data value applies to the data prior to rescaling.

  netcdf NSCAT.1997113 {

  dimensions:

  time = UNLIMITED ; // (7743 currently)
  cross_track_cells = 24 ;

  variables:

  int Mean_Time(time) ;
  Mean_Time:long_name = "average time" ;
  Mean_Time:units = "seconds from 1-1-1996 00:00:00" ;
  Mean_Time:actual_range = 41299204, 41385593 ;
  Mean_Time:scale_factor = 1 ;
  Mean_Time:add_offset = 0 ;
  Mean_Time:missing_value = 0 ;
  short WVC_lon(time, cross_track_cells) ;
  WVC_lon:long_name = "longitude" ;
  WVC_lon:units = "degrees" ;
  WVC_lon:actual_range = 0.f, 360.f ;
  WVC_lon:scale_factor = 0.01f ;
  WVC_lon:add_offset = 180.f ;
  WVC_lon:missing_value = 32767s ;
  short WVC_lat(time, cross_track_cells) ;
  WVC_lat:long_name = "latitude" ;
  WVC_lat:units = "degrees" ;
  WVC_lat:actual_range = -69.76f, 79.58f ;
  WVC_lat:scale_factor = 0.01f ;
  WVC_lat:add_offset = 0.f ;
  WVC_lat:missing_value = 32767s ;
  short Wind_Dir(time, cross_track_cells) ;
  Wind_Dir:long_name = "nudged wind direction" ;
  Wind_Dir:units = "degrees (Oceanic Convention)" ;
  Wind_Dir:actual_range = 0.01000977f, 360.f ;
  Wind_Dir:scale_factor = 0.01f ;
  Wind_Dir:add_offset = 180.f ;
  Wind_Dir:missing_value = 32767s ;
  short Wind_Speed(time, cross_track_cells) ;
  Wind_Speed:long_name = "nudged wind speed" ;
  Wind_Speed:units = "m/s" ;
  Wind_Speed:actual_range = 0.f, 49.75f ;
  Wind_Speed:scale_factor = 0.01f ;
  Wind_Speed:add_offset = 0.f ;
  Wind_Speed:missing_value = 32767s ;
  byte WVC_Quality_Flag(time, cross_track_cells) ;
  WVC_Quality_Flag:long_name = "quality control flag" ;
  WVC_Quality_Flag:units = "" ;
  WVC_Quality_Flag:actual_range = 0b, 3b ;
  WVC_Quality_Flag:scale_factor = 1b ;
  WVC_Quality_Flag:add_offset = 0b ;
  WVC_Quality_Flag:missing_value = 127b ;

  // global attributes:

  :build_id = "4.3.0/1998-06-24" ;
  :sensor_name = "NSCAT" ;
  :first_data_time = "23 April 1997 00:00:04" :
  :last_data_time = "23 April 1997 23:59:53" ;
  :wind_reference_height = "10m" ;
  :history = "Created on 13 November 1998 by COAPS/FSU" ;
  :contact_info = "scat_sci@coaps.fsu.edu" ;

  }

• Stresses
  The data is stored in a NetCDF format. The following is an example dump (of the header) from the 19^th day of 1997. The header applies to any day in the data set, and it describes the data format and content.
  To save space, the data has been stored with a scale factor and an offset. To convert the data to physical units, multiply the retreived value by the scale factor and then add the offset. The missing data value applies to the data prior to rescaling.

  netcdf stress.1997113 {

  dimensions:

  time = UNLIMITED ; // (7743 currently)
  cross_track_cells = 24 ;

  variables:

  int Mean_Time(time) ;

  Mean_Time:units = "seconds from 1-1-1996 00:00:00" ;
  Mean_Time:actual_range = 0, 0 ;
  Mean_Time:scale_factor = 1 ;
  Mean_Time:add_offset = 0 ;
  Mean_Time:missing_value = 0 ;

  short lat(time, cross_track_cells) ;

  lat:units = "degrees" ;
  lat:scale_factor = 0.01 ;
  lat:add_offset = 0. ;
  lat:missing_value = 32767s ;

  short lon(time, cross_track_cells) ;

  lon:units = "degrees" ;
  lon:scale_factor = 0.01 ;
  lon:add_offset = 180. ;
  lon:missing_value = 32767s ;

  short stress(time, cross_track_cells) ;

  stress:long_name = "kinematic stress" ;
  stress:units = "m^2/s^2" ;
  stress:scale_factor = 0.0001 ;
  stress:add_offset = 0.;
  stress:missing_value = 32767s ;

  short dir(time, cross_track_cells) ;

  dir:long_name = "direction" ;
  dir:units = "degree" ;
  dir:scale_factor = 0.01 ;
  dir:add_offset = 180. ;
  dir:missing_value = 32767s ;

  // global attributes:

  :First_Data_Time = "23 April 1997 00:00:04" ;
  :Last_Data_Time = "23 April 1997 23:59:53" ;
  :history = "Created on 12 January 1999 by COAPS/FSU" ;
  :contact_info = "scat_sci@coaps.fsu.edu" ;

  }

• W25
  The data is stored in a NetCDF format. The following is an example dump (of the header) from the 19^th day of 1997. The header applies to any day in the data set, and it describes the data format and content.
  To save space, the data has been stored with a scale factor and an offset. To convert the data to physical units, multiply the retreived value by the scale factor and then add the offset. The missing data value applies to the data prior to rescaling.

  netcdf NSCAT.1997019 {

  dimensions:

  time = UNLIMITED ; // (15684 currently)
  cross_track_cells = 48 ;

  variables:

  int Mean_Time(time) ;

  Mean_Time:long_name = "average time" ;
  Mean_Time:units = "seconds from 1-1-1996 00:00:00" ;
  Mean_Time:actual_range = 33177603, 33263997 ;
  Mean_Time:scale_factor = 1 ;
  Mean_Time:add_offset = 0 ;
  Mean_Time:missing_value = 0 ;

  short WVC_lon(time, cross_track_cells) ;

  WVC_lon:long_name = "longitude" ;
  WVC_lon:units = "degrees" ;
  WVC_lon:actual_range = 0.f, 360.f ;
  WVC_lon:scale_factor = 0.01f ;
  WVC_lon:add_offset = 180.f ;
  WVC_lon:missing_value = 32767s ;

  short WVC_lat(time, cross_track_cells) ;

  WVC_lat:long_name = "latitude" ;
  WVC_lat:units = "degrees" ;
  WVC_lat:actual_range = -86.27f, 88.27f ;
  WVC_lat:scale_factor = 0.01f ;
  WVC_lat:add_offset = 0.f ;
  WVC_lat:missing_value = 32767s ;

  short Wind_Dir(time, cross_track_cells) ;

  Wind_Dir:long_name = "nudged wind direction" ;
  Wind_Dir:units = "degrees (Oceanic Convention)" ;
  Wind_Dir:actual_range = 0.f, 360.f ;
  Wind_Dir:scale_factor = 0.01f ;
  Wind_Dir:add_offset = 180.f ;
  Wind_Dir:missing_value = 32767s ;

  short Wind_Speed(time, cross_track_cells) ;

  Wind_Speed:long_name = "nudged wind speed" ;
  Wind_Speed:units = "m/s" ;
  Wind_Speed:actual_range = 0.f, 41.91f ;
  Wind_Speed:scale_factor = 0.01f ;
  Wind_Speed:add_offset = 0.f ;
  Wind_Speed:missing_value = 32767s ;

  byte WVC_Quality_Flag(time, cross_track_cells) ;

  WVC_Quality_Flag:long_name = "quality control flag" ;
  WVC_Quality_Flag:units = "" ;
  WVC_Quality_Flag:actual_range = 0b, 4b ;
  WVC_Quality_Flag:scale_factor = 1b ;
  WVC_Quality_Flag:add_offset = 0b ;
  WVC_Quality_Flag:missing_value = 127b ;

  // global attributes:

  :build_id = "25km MGDR Processor 3.0" ;
  :sensor_name = "NSCAT" ;
  :first_data_time = "19 January 1997 00:00:03" ;
  :last_data_time = "19 January 1997 23:59:57" ;
  :wind_reference_height = "10m" ;
  :history = "Created on 21 December 1998 by COAPS/FSU" ;
  :contact_info = "scat_sci@coaps.fsu.edu" ;

  }

---

QSCAT

COAPS/QuikSCAT Compact Level 2B

RSS's Level 2B (Ku2001 model function) swath data set (25 km resolution) is sub-sampled to remove data fields that are less likely to be used (e.g., most of the header, unselected ambiguities, and engineering data). Retained fields are wind speed, wind direction, time, latitude, and longitude. The scatterometer winds are calibrated to a height of 10 m. The data sets are also resorted from the original orbit by orbit organization, to daily observations. There is no processing of data. The goal is to provide essential data in a more user-friendly format. The data set should be considered research quality.

COAPS/QuikSCAT Stresses

The QuikSCAT project's L2A and L2B swath data sets are used to calculate stress magnitudes (25 km resolution). Directions are assumed to be equal to the L2B directions. Retained fields are stress magnitude, stress direction, time, latitude, and longitude. The data sets are also resorted from the original orbit by orbit organization, to daily observations. The data set should be considered research quality. These will not be available unit the NSCAT stress algorithm is made applicable to the QuikSCAT data.