NOAA high resolution sea surface winds data from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) on the RADARSAT-2 satellite
This dataset consists of high resolution sea surface winds data produced from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) on board the RADARSAT-2 satellite. The basic archive file is a netCDF-4 file containing SAR wind, a land mask, and time and earth location information. Maps of the SAR wind data in GeoTIFF format are also included. The product covers the geographic extent of the SAR image frame from which it was derived.
These SAR-derived high resolution wind products are calculated from high resolution SAR images of normalized radar cross section (NRCS) of the Earth's surface. Backscattered microwave radar returns from the ocean surface are strongly dependent on wind speed and direction. When no wind is present, the surface of the water is smooth, almost glass-like. Radar energy will largely be reflected away and the radar cross section will be low. As the wind begins to blow, the surface roughens and surface waves begin to develop. As the wind continues to blow more strongly, the amplitude of the wave increases, thus, roughening the surface more. As the surface roughness increases, more energy is backscattered and NRCS increases. Moreover, careful examination of the wind-generated waves reveals that these surface wave crests are generally aligned perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction, suggesting a dependence of backscatter on the relative direction between the incident radar energy and the wind direction.
These SAR-derived high resolution wind products are calculated from high resolution SAR images of normalized radar cross section (NRCS) of the Earth's surface. Backscattered microwave radar returns from the ocean surface are strongly dependent on wind speed and direction. When no wind is present, the surface of the water is smooth, almost glass-like. Radar energy will largely be reflected away and the radar cross section will be low. As the wind begins to blow, the surface roughens and surface waves begin to develop. As the wind continues to blow more strongly, the amplitude of the wave increases, thus, roughening the surface more. As the surface roughness increases, more energy is backscattered and NRCS increases. Moreover, careful examination of the wind-generated waves reveals that these surface wave crests are generally aligned perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction, suggesting a dependence of backscatter on the relative direction between the incident radar energy and the wind direction.
Dataset Citation
- Cite as: Pichel, William G.; Monaldo, Francis M.; Jackson, Christopher R.; Sapper, John; Hatteberg, Rachel (2015). NOAA high resolution sea surface winds data from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) on the RADARSAT-2 satellite. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5m906ns. Accessed [date].
Dataset Identifiers
ISO 19115-2 Metadata
gov.noaa.nodc:SAR-Winds-RADARSAT2
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| Ordering Instructions | Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions. |
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NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information +1-301-713-3277 NCEI.Info@noaa.gov |
| Dataset Point of Contact |
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov |
| Time Period | 2014-05-02 to Present |
| Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates |
West: -180
East: 180
South: -90
North: 90
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| Data Presentation Form | Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns |
| Dataset Progress Status | Ongoing - data is continually being updated Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility |
| Data Update Frequency | As needed |
| Supplemental Information | Individual SAR images with wind data at a resolution of 0.5 km are obtained from Alaska waters and the North Pacific covering the region: 179.0E to -179.0W, 75.0N to 40.0N. Some coverage has been obtained over Hawaii, the coasts of Maryland, Delaware, and the northern gulf of Mexico. SAR products support the following mission/projects: Weather and Water, Ecosystems, Commerce and Transportation, hazard monitoring and response, CoastWatch, the National Ice Center, the Office of Response and Restoration Emergency Response Division, and other NOAA offices. |
| Purpose | This dataset is available to the public for a wide variety of uses including scientific research and analysis. |
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Last Modified: 2024-04-07T13:12:15Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov
