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NSCAT

The following table provides key details and a summary for each dataset. Additional information is provided in written descriptions following the table. The names of the products in the table are linked to the written descriptions for easy navigation. These descriptions include contact information, sites from which the data is available (or e-mail contact with the people who will send the data), documentation, read routines, and references.

Data Set Spatial Coverage Spatial Grid Temporal Coverage Temporal Grid Data Fields Non-NSCAT Input Processing Technique
Project Level 3 Global
(in swaths)
0.5x0.5° Sept. 15, 1996 - June 29, 1997 Daily u, v, w, variability statistics None Vector average within swaths
Cheng, Chao,
and Liu Winds
Global 1x1° Sept. 15, 1996 - June 29, 1997 2 Days u, v ECMWF Winds Gaussian-weighted interpolation
COAPS/FSU
Objectively Analyzed
Indian Ocean 34.5S - 28.5N, 25.5E - 124.5E, Pacific Ocean, Global 1x1°  Oct. 1, 1996 - June 25, 1997 Daily UW, VW, w None Variational method, with objectively determined weights
COAPS/FSU
Temporal Averaged
Global 1x1° or 0.5x0.5° Sept. 15, 1996 - June 29, 1997 Daily u, v None Centered, Temporally Weighted, Mean
COAPS/FSU
Monthly Averaged
Global 0.5x0.5° Oct. 1996 - June 1997 Monthly tx,ty None Monthly mean
Ifremer/Cersat Mean Surface Fields Global 1x1° Aug. 5, 1991 - March 1, 1998 Bi-Weekly and Bi-Monthly u, v, tx,ty, wind div., wind curl ERS-1/2 Winds Objective interpolation with a minimum variance method
Kelly, Caruso, and Dickinson pseudostress maps Tropical Pacific 1x1°  Nov. 1, 1996 to June 26, 1997 Daily UW, VW None Objective average
J-OFURO 2
(K. Kutsuwada, Tokai University, Japan)
Global 1x1° Aug. 1, 1999 - Present Daily u, v, w, tx, ty, |t| None Weighting Average Method
Milliff, Large, Morzel, Danabasoglu and Chin Blended Fields Global 0.5x0.5°  Aug. 1, 1996 - July 31, 1997 6 hours u, v ERS-2 winds and NCEP wavelet based multiresolution analysis
Polito, Liu and Tang Correlation-based interpolation Global 0.5x0.5°  Sept. 15, 1996 - June 29, 1997 daily u, v, tx, ty, Div. of Stress, Ekman Pumping None correlation-based interpolation
Tang and Liu Objective Interpolation Global 0.5x0.5°  Sept. 15, 1996 - June 29, 1997 12 hours u, v ECMWF Successive correction

Definitions of Symbols

Symbol Definition Unit
u Zonal Component of Wind (Positive Eastward) m/s
v Meridional Component of Wind (Positive Northward) m/s
UW Zonal Component of Pseudostress (Positive Eastward) m/s
VW Meridional Component of Pseudostress (Positive Northward) m/s
tx Zonal Component of Wind Stress (Positive Eastward) N/m^2
ty Meridional Component of Wind Stress (Positive Eastward) N/m^2
|t| Magnitude of Scalar Averaged Wind Stress N/m^2

Project Level 3 Product

Global, daily, vector averaged maps of NSCAT winds, derived from daily bins the Level 2 (50 km) wind vectors, on 0.5 degree by 0.5 degree grids. Winds are available only where there were observations. Reference height is 10m. A table describing this and other gridded products is at the top of this page.

  • Deliverables:
    Data - Daily gridded wind data
    GIF Images - Daily images of wind vectors and streamlines
    Read Software - FORTRAN, C and IDL
    Documentation - NSCAT Science Product Guide

  • Where:
    Anonymous FTP here

  • Contact:
    PO.DAAC User's Services Office
    Phone: 818-354-9890
    Email: podaac@podaac.jpl.nasa.gov

  • Reference:
    • JPL, 1998: NSCAT Science Data Product User's Manual, Version 1.2, JPL D-12985, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA.

Cheng, Chao, and Liu Global Gridded winds

Two-day average global wind fields produced by a Gaussian-weighted interpolation scheme using scatterometer winds, with ECMWF data as the initial fields. Spatial grid is one degree by one degree. Reference height is 10m. A table describing this and other gridded products is at the top of this page.

  • Deliverables:
    Data - Two-day averaged gridded wind data
    Read Software - Fortran 77, IDL
    Documentation - http://lochness.jpl.nasa.gov/nscatpaper.html

  • Where:
    Available here

  • Contact:
    Benny Cheng
    Phone: 818-354-0731
    Email: bnc@pacific.jpl.nasa.gov

  • Reference:
    • B. Cheng, Y. Chao, and W. Timothy Liu, A Comparison between the NSCAT Scatterometer and ECMWF winds and their Oceanic Response over the North Atlantic, submitted - GRL.

COAPS/FSU Monthly Averaged Stresses

Global, monthly-averaged, vector mean kinematic stresses determined directly from backscatter, on 0.5 degree by 0.5 degree grids. Data fields are kinematic stress components. These fields have been updated with the results of the NSCAT-2 model function (version 4.3 NSCAT winds from JPL). A table describing this and other gridded products is at the top of this page.

  • Deliverables:
    Data - Daily gridded surface stress data
    Read Software - FORTRAN, C and IDL
    Documentation - Detailed information about Data is available at /nscat/

  • Where:
    Available here. Free read software for UNIX, Macs, and PCs is available from Unidata. Tools are available for converting NetCDF files - ASCII here. Additional information is available here.

  • Contact:
    Mark A. Bourassa
    Phone: 850-644-6923
    Email: bourassa@coaps.fsu.edu

  • Reference:

COAPS/FSU Objectively Analyzed

Daily fields of pseudostress are produced using a variational approach (direct minimization) with tuning parameters objectively determined using Generalized Cross Validation (GCV). These products are on 1 degree x 1 degree grids. Data fields are pseudostress components. Reference height is 10m. A table describing this and other gridded products is at the top of this page.

  • Deliverables:
    Data - Daily gridded pseudo-stress data and images
    Read Software - FORTRAN, C, IDL
    Documentation - Detailed information about is available here (Indian Ocean product) and here (Global Oceans product). Images are also available here.

    Where:
    COAPS NSCAT Gridded Data Download Area

    Tools are available for converting NetCDF files - ASCII here. Free read software for UNIX, Macs, and PCs is available from Unidata. Additional information is available here

  • Contact:
    Mark Bourassa
    Phone: 850-644-6923
    E-mail: bourassa@coaps.fsu.edu

  • Reference:
    • Legler, D. M., M. A. Bourassa, A. D. Rao, and J. J. O'Brien, 1998: NSCAT Surface Wind Fields Using Optimally Tuned Direct Minimization Techniques. Papers from 9th Conference on Interaction of Sea and Atmosphere, Phoenix, AZ, American Meteorological Society, 32-35.

COAPS/FSU Temporal Averaged

Global, daily, centered, temporally weighted, vector mean values from successive 8-day periods using NSCAT winds only, on 1.0 degree by 1.0 degree grids. Data fields are wind components, scalar averaged wind speed, and pseudostress components. Reference height is 10m. These fields have been updated with the results of the NSCAT-2 model function (version 4.3 NSCAT winds from JPL). A table describing this and other gridded products is at the top of this page.

  • Deliverables:
    Data - Daily gridded wind data
    MPEG Animations: Weekly movies of moving wind vectors, curl, and divergence
    Read Software - FORTRAN, C and IDL
    Documentation - Detailed information about Data is available here

  • Where:
    - get the 1.0 degree data, go - anonymous FTP here and download wt_L20.tar.gz or go here. The 0.5 degree data is available through here.

    Free read software for UNIX, Macs, and PCs is available from Unidata. Tools are available for converting NetCDF files - ASCII here. Additional information is available at UCAR.

  • Contact:
    Mark A. Bourassa
    Phone: 850-644-6923
    Email: bourassa@coaps.fsu.edu

  • References:
    • Bourassa, M. A. , M.. H. Freilich, D. M. Legler, W. T. Liu, and J. J. O'Brien, 1997: Wind observations from new satellite and research vessels agree. EOS Trans. of Amer. Geophys. Union, 597 & 602.
    • Bourassa, M. A., M. H. Freilich, D. M. Legler, W. T. Liu, and J. J. O'Brien, 1997 : Wind observations from new satellite and research vessels agree. EOS, 597-602.
    • Bourassa, M. A., D. M. Legler, C. Miranda V, J. J. O'Brien, J. N. Stricherz, K. Verzone, and J. Whalley, 1997: COAPS NSCAT surface wind animations. Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2840, CD-ROM.
    • Bourassa, M. A., D. M. Legler, J. J. O'Brien, J. N. Stricherz, and J. Whalley, 1998: High temporal and spatial resolution animations of winds observed with the NASA scatterometer, 14th International conference on IIPS, Phoenix, AZ, American Meteorological Society, 556-559.
    • Bourassa, M. A., L. Zamudio, and J. J. O'Brien, 1988: Non-inertial flow in NSCAT observations of Tehuantepec winds. J. Geophys. Res., in press.

IFREMER/CERSAT Mean surface wind field from the ERS-AMI and ADEOS-NSCAT microwave scatterometers

Weekly and monthly global wind fields produced using NSCAT, AMI (ERS-1 and ERS-2), QuikSCAT, and ASCAT scatterometer winds, objectively interpolated using a minimum variance method. Spatial grid is 1 degree by 1 degree. Reference height is 10m. A table describing this and other gridded products is at the top of this page.

  • Deliverables:
    Data - Bi-weekly and bi-monthly wind data, wind stress, wind divergence, and wind stress cur
    Read Software - ansi C
    Documentation - Here

  • Where:
    Available here

  • Contact:
    Department d'oceanographie Spatiale
    IFREMER BP 70
    FR 29280 PLOUZANE
    FRANCE
    Phone: 33-298-22-44-83
    Email: fpaf@ifremer.fr
    IFREMER Website

  • Reference:
    • IFREMER/CERSAT, 1998: Mean Surface Wind Fields from the ERS-AMI and ADEOS-NSCAT Microwave Scatterometers, 91/08/05 - 98/03/01. A contribution - WOCE, a CD-ROM published for the WOCE conference, Halifax, Canada, May 1998.

Kelly, Caruso and Dickinson maps of Tropical Pacific pseudostress fields

Pseudostress maps were prepared by objectively averaging NSCAT data over the tropical Pacific Ocean. The daily maps are gridded - 1 degree, with resolutions of 5 days and 2 degrees. Reference height is 10m. A table describing this and other gridded products is at the top of this page.

  • Deliverables:
    Data - Daily gridded pseudostress maps (in monthly files)

  • Where - Get the Data -
    Please contact suzanne@apl.washington.edu

  • Contact:
    Suzanne Dickinson
    Phone: 206-543-1380
    Email: suzanne@apl.washington.edu

  • References:
    • Kelly, K.A., S. Dickinson and Z.-J. Yu, NSCAT Tropical Wind Stress Maps: Implications for Improving Ocean Modeling, Accepted at JGR.
    • Dickinson, S., S. Singh, K.A. Kelly, M. Spillane and M.J. McPhaden, 1998, Establishing a Mapping Methodology for NSCAT Winds, APL-UW Tech. Rept. #9801.

J-OFURO 2 (K. Kutsuwada, Tokai University, Japan)

Daily averaged wind and wind-stress vectors derived from weighted mean method of the level 2 (50 km) wind vectors, on 1.0 degree by 1.0 degree grids. Reference height is 10m. A table describing this and other gridded products is at the top of this page.

Products referred to as J-OFURO are available for any users, together with surface heat flux parameters at Japanese Ocean Flux Data sets with Use of Remote Sensing Observations.

  • Deliverables:
    Data - Daily gridded wind and wind-stress data (in monthly files)
    Read Software - FORTRAN
    Documentation - N/A

  • Where:
    Japanese Ocean Flux Data sets with Use of Remote Sensing Observations

  • Contact:
    Kunio Kutsuwada (Takahiro Kazama)
    Phone: +81-54-334-0411 Ext. 3212
    Fax: +81-54-336-1434
    E-mail: kkutsu@scc.u-tokai.ac.jp or 8jogm003@scc.u-tokai.ac.jp

  • References:
    • Kutsuwada, K., 1998: Impact of Wind/Wind-stress Field in the North Pacific constructed by ADEOS/NSCAT Data., J. Oceanogr., 54. (in press).
    • Kutsuwada, K. and Y. Kuroda, 1998: Investigation of Surface Wind Variability in the Tropical Pacific Oceans using NSCAT and ERS-2 Data during 1997-1998 El Nino event, Proceedings of Quikscat Science meeting in Hawaii.

Milliff, Large, Morzel, Danabasoglu and Chin Blended NSCAT/ERS-2 and NCEP u, v data

Four times daily global wind fields produced using scatterometer winds, with NCEP data as the initial fields. Spatial grid is 0.5 degree by 0.5 degree. Reference height is 10m. A table describing this and other gridded products is at the top of this page.

  • Deliverables:
    Data - Four times daily blended NSCAT/ERS-2 wind vectors
    Read Software - FORTRAN
    Documentation - N/A

  • Where:
    Available here

  • Contact:
    Jan Morzel
    Phone: 303-497-1342
    Email: morzel@cgd.ucar.edu

  • References:
    • Milliff, R. F., W. G. Large, J. Morzel, G. Danabasoglu, and T. M. Chin, 1998: Ocean general circulation model sensitivity - forcing from scatterometer winds, submitted.
    • Chin, T.M., R.F. Milliff, and W.G. Large, 1998: Basin scale, high-wavenumber sea surface wind fields from a multiresolution analysis of scatterometer data. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 15, 741-763.

Polito, Liu and Tang Correlation-based interpolated NSCAT winds

Daily global wind fields produced by a correlation-based scheme using scatterometer winds. Spatial grid is 0.5 degree by 0.5 degree. Reference height is 10m. A table describing this and other gridded products is at the top of this page.

  • Deliverables:
    Data - Daily gridded wind data, stress, divergence of stress, and Ekman pumping
    Read Software - IDL
    Documentation - N/A

  • Where:
    Please contact polito@io.usp.br

  • Contact:
    Paulo Polito
    Email: polito@io.usp.br

  • Reference:
    • Paulo, P. S., W. T. Liu and W. Tang, 1997: Correlation-based interpolation of NSCAT wind data. NSCAT Science Working Team Meeting, Maui, Hawaii, Nov, 1997.

Tang and Liu Objectively Interpolated

Twice daily global wind fields produced by successive corrections using scatterometer winds, with NSCAT monthly averaged wind data as the initial fields. Spatial grid is 0.5 degree by 0.5 degree. The gridded products are wind components. Reference height is 10m. A table describing this and other gridded products is at the top of this page.

  • Deliverables:
    Data - Twice daily gridded wind data
    Read Software - IDL
    Documentation - N/A

  • Where:
    Please visit here

  • Contact:
    Wenqing Tang
    Phone: 818-354-8199
    Email: wqt@seanet.jpl.nasa.gov

  • Reference:
    • Tang, W. and W. T. Liu, 1996: Objective interpolation of scatterometer winds. JP L publication 96-19. 16pp.

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the work of Carol Hsu in gathering much of the descriptive information about the gridded data sets.