NASA SCP Project: Enhanced Resolution Satellite Backscatter Data

The Scatterometer Climate Record Pathfinder project at Brigham Young University provides Sigma-0 backscatter data from the ERS-1 and NSCAT satellite scatterometers. Data is processed using a Scatterometer Image Reconstruction technique, offering enhanced resolution imagery at 4.45 km or 8.9 km pixel scales and non-enhanced versions at lower resolutions. Files are organized by region, parameter, and sampling technique and are stored in IEEE formatted binary.

Use Cases

• Analyzing surface backscatter (Sigma-0) for wind retrieval and oceanography studies based on the provided C-band scatterometer measurements.
• Studying long-term climate records based on the enhanced resolution image reconstructions gridded at 4.45 km or 8.9 km.
• Comparing statistical parameters like standard deviation and average incidence angle for data quality assessment and error analysis.
• Mapping regional surface properties using data separated by geographic region, including combined China-Japan areas.

Strengths

• Data is processed with an enhanced resolution Scatterometer Image Reconstruction technique, providing imagery at 4.45 km (NSCAT) and 8.9 km (ERS-1) pixel scales.
• Includes various statistical parameters for guidance, such as standard deviation, measurement counts, pixel time, Sigma-0 error, and average incidence angle.
• Files are systematically organized by region, parameter, and sampling technique (SIR vs. GRD).

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.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Generated from ERS-1 and NSCAT satellite scatterometers using a Scatterometer Image Reconstruction (SIR) technique.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Global coverage, with regions including combined China-Japan areas; non-polar regions use an equal-area grid, polar regions use a polar-stereographic technique.