NASA QUIKSCAT Project: Ocean Surface Wind Vector Retrievals from OSCAT

Level 2B science-quality ocean surface wind vector retrievals from the Oceansat-2 scatterometer (OSCAT), launched by ISRO on 23 September 2009. The dataset is produced by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory QuikSCAT Project and provides retrievals on a non-uniform grid at 12.5 km pixel resolution, using an improved geophysical model function and rain detection algorithm. It also includes Level 1C data from the repointed SeaWinds on QuikSCAT platform following its antenna motor failure in November 2009.

Use Cases

• Modeling global ocean-atmosphere heat and momentum exchange based on ocean surface wind vector data.
• Validating and improving numerical weather prediction models based on satellite-derived wind retrievals.
• Cross-calibrating Ku-band scatterometer instruments (e.g., OSCAT, SeaWinds, RapidScat) based on the varied incidence angle data.
• Studying wind patterns for marine navigation and offshore industry planning based on geospatial wind data.
• Detecting and flagging rain-contaminated wind measurements based on the improved algorithm mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Provides science-quality wind vector retrievals at a 12.5 km pixel resolution.
• Incorporates an improved geophysical model function (QSCAT12) and rain detection algorithm consistent with the latest QuikSCAT reprocessing.
• Includes data from both the OSCAT instrument and the repointed SeaWinds platform, extending the Ku-band wind record.
• Read software is made available in MATLAB, Python, R, and IDL for data access.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and total dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) QuikSCAT Project in cooperation with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Oceansat-2 scatterometer (OSCAT) and the repointed SeaWinds on QuikSCAT platform.

Time Range

Data from OSCAT begins after its launch on 23 September 2009; SeaWinds L1C data spans from November 2009 onward.

Freshness

Last updated date is unknown.

Geography

Global ocean coverage within the instrument swaths.