SCATSAT-1: Ocean Surface Wind Curl and Divergence

SCATSAT-1 Inter-Calibrated ESDR Level 2 Observed and Modeled Spatial Derivatives of Surface Wind and Wind Stress Version 1.0 contains satellite-derived curl and divergence of ocean surface winds and wind stress. Data are derived from SCATSAT-1 scatterometer observations, intercalibrated with MetOp-A, MetOp-B, and QuikScat satellites. This first science-quality release is intended for evaluation by the NASA International Ocean Vector Winds Science Team.

Use Cases

• Analyzing wind stress curl patterns for ocean current and eddy dynamics studies based on spatial derivative variables.
• Evaluating intercalibrated wind data quality across multiple satellite missions (SCATSAT-1, MetOp-A/B, QuikScat).
• Assessing spatial variability of ocean surface winds at ~12.5 km resolution within satellite swaths.
• Studying air-sea momentum transfer using derived wind stress fields.

Strengths

• Represents the first science-quality release funded under the NASA MEaSUREs program.
• Data are intercalibrated across four satellite scatterometer missions (SCATSAT-1, MetOp-A, MetOp-B, QuikScat).
• Spatial derivatives (curl, divergence) are computed over multiple spatial domains with varying radii.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not specified in the provided metadata.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between sources (2026-04-09 vs 2021-03-01).
• Dataset size and row counts are unknown.

Provenance

Source

NASA MEaSUREs OSVW Project, derived from SCATSAT-1 satellite observations.

Collection Method

Satellite-based scatterometer observations processed to Level 2, with intercalibration across missions.

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:30:13.246310

Geography

Global ocean coverage, provided on a non-uniform grid within the satellite swath.