ERS-1 Radar Backscatter Data With Enhanced 8.9 Km Resolution

Sigma-0 backscatter data from the ERS-1 C-band scatterometer, processed using the Scatterometer Image Reconstruction (SIR) technique. The dataset includes both enhanced 8.9 km resolution SIR files and non-enhanced 44.5 km GRD files, organized by region and parameter. It was generated by the Scatterometer Climate Record Pathfinder project at Brigham Young University and last updated in May 1996.

Use Cases

• Analyze Sigma-0 values to study ocean surface wind patterns and roughness.
• Use the provided standard deviation and Sigma-0 error fields to assess data uncertainty for specific regions.
• Compare enhanced 8.9 km SIR resolution data with the standard 44.5 km GRD data for resolution sensitivity studies.
• Investigate temporal changes in backscatter using pixel time and average incidence angle parameters.
• Map polar ice conditions using the polar-stereographic gridded data for the Arctic or Antarctic regions.

Strengths

• Provides data at two distinct spatial resolutions: 8.9 km for enhanced SIR files and 44.5 km for standard GRD files.
• Includes auxiliary statistical parameters like standard deviation, measurement counts, and Sigma-0 error for data quality assessment.
• Data is organized by geographic region, parameter, and sampling technique (SIR vs. GRD) for easier access.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, with the last update recorded in May 1996, limiting its use for contemporary analysis.
• The sample size, row count, and total dataset size are unknown, making it difficult to gauge the data volume.
• Specific file formats and required tools for reading the IEEE formatted binary files are not detailed.

Provenance

Source

Scatterometer Climate Record Pathfinder (SCP) project at Brigham Young University (BYU).

Collection Method

Generated from ERS-1 C-band scatterometer (Active Microwave Instrument) data using the Scatterometer Image Reconstruction (SIR) technique.

Geography

Global coverage, with non-polar regions on an equal-area grid and polar regions on a polar-stereographic grid. The regions of China and Japan are combined.