ISS-RapidScat: Climate Quality Ocean Wind Vectors in 12.5km Grid

ISS-RapidScat Level 2B data provides ocean surface wind vectors binned on a 12.5 km grid, processed from Ku-band scatterometer measurements. This climate quality version uses full ~20-km antenna footprints and modified calibration for consistent data across low signal-to-noise periods from August 2015 to February 2016. The dataset covers latitudes from approximately 61 degrees North to 61 degrees South, delivered in netCDF format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing tropical and mid-latitude wind patterns based on the 61°N to 61°S coverage.
• Calibrating other wind measurement systems using the climate-quality, full-aperture processing.
• Studying temporal wind variability in non-sun-synchronous orbits due to ISS-RapidScat's unique orbital characteristics.
• Investigating ocean-atmosphere interactions using the 12.5 km Wind Vector Cell (WVC) binned wind vectors.

Strengths

• Provides climate-quality data with consistent calibration across different signal-to-noise states, specifically addressing LowSNR1 and LowSNR2 periods.
• Offers a specific spatial resolution with wind vectors binned on a 12.5 km grid.
• Dataset is hosted and maintained by NASA, indicating authoritative provenance and ongoing quality control tracking.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is medium; explicit column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided across platforms.
• Spatial coverage is limited to between 61°N and 61°S due to the International Space Station's orbital inclination.
• There is a conflict in recorded 'last updated' dates, with Data.gov showing 2026-04 09 and NASA Earthdata showing 2016-08-19.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the ISS-RapidScat Ku-band scatterometer mounted on the International Space Station.

Time Range

2015-08-14 to 2016-02-07 (for specified low-SNR calibration periods; total mission duration not stated)

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:58:08.622266

Geography

Global ocean coverage between approximately 61 degrees North and 61 degrees South latitude.