Sea Surface Winds

NOAA NCEI Blended Seawinds (NBS v2)

jebidiah.jeffery — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 16:54:41 +0000

NOAA NCEI Blended Seawinds (NBS v2)

jebidiah.jeffery Thu, 09/15/2022 - 12:54

The NOAA NCEI Blended Seawinds (NBS) version 2.0 dataset synthesizes observations from multiple satellites (up to seven satellites since June 2002) to create gridded wind speeds . This is an updated version of the existing NOAA NBS v1.0, which is a global gridded 0.25° and 6-hourly sea surface winds product that has wide applications in marine transportation, marine ecosystem and fisheries, offshore winds, weather and ocean forecasts, and other areas. Blending the data from multiple satellites fills in the temporal and spatial data gaps present in each source dataset, and reduces subsampling aliases and random errors. These satellites include scatterometers and microwave radiometers/imagers, which do not provide accurate observations of intensive high-speed hurricane winds because their signals saturate in very high winds or degrade in the presence of rain.
Recent advancements in satellite wind retrievals revealed that the L-band (1.42 GHz) instrument on the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite and the AMSR2 All-Weather channel (~6.9 GHz) can provide accurate hurricane winds of up to 65 m/s (145 MPH) without being affected by rain; these data are incorporated in a new version of the Blended Sea Winds, NBS v2.0, using a multi-sensor data fusion technique based on random errors, enabling it to resolve very high winds, especially along the eyewalls of tropical cyclones and hurricanes. NBS v2.0 provides both a long-term record of >30 years retrospectively since July 1987 and a near-real-time (NRT) mode with 1-day latency. With the present seven satellites, there are very few data gaps over the global ocean in the 6-hourly interpolated fields, and those gaps are mostly in the higher latitudes (beyond 40°N or S). To produce a version of “gap-free” Level 4 wind data, the few remaining gaps are filled with the ERA-5 reanalysis winds in the delayed mode NBS (latency and cycle of a month) and with NOAA/NCEP/GFS forecast winds in the NRT version. The reanalysis or forecast data are also used to calculate the wind directions, which is essential to retrieve wind and wind stress components.

These products were developed in response to the increasing demand for higher resolution global datasets, and can be used to improve the accuracy of ocean and weather conditions forecasts. Please contact ncei.satellite.ocean.internal@noaa.gov for more information about these products.

Temporal Start Date

September 7, 1987

Temporal Coverage

Temporal: 6 hour, 1 day, 1 month; beginning July 1987

Product Families

Sea Surface Winds

Saha, K.; Huai-Min, Z. Hurricane and Typhoon Storm Wind Resolving NOAA NCEI Blended Sea Surface Wind (NBS) Product. Frontiers in Marine Sciences – Ocean Observation 2022, 9, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.935549.
Peng, G., H.-M. Zhang, H.P. Frank, J.-R. Bidlot, M. Higaki, S. Stevens, and W.R. Hankins, 2013: Evaluation of various surface wind products with OceanSITES buoy measurements. Weather and Forecasting, 28, 1281–1303, https://doi.org/10.1175/WAF-D-12-00086.1.
Zhang, H.-M., J. J. Bates, and R. W. Reynolds, 2006: Assessment of composite global sampling: Sea surface wind speed, Geophysical Research Letters, 33, L17714, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL027086.
Zhang, H.-M., R.W. Reynolds, and J.G. Bates, 2006: Blended and gridded high resolution global sea surface wind speed and climatology from multiple satellites: 1987–present. 14th Conference on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography, Atlanta, GA, American Meteorological Society, Paper 100004. [https://ams.confex.com/ams/Annual2006/webprogram/Paper100004.html].

Measurements

Sea Surface Vector Winds

Processing Levels

Level 4

Spatial Coverage

Global

Saha, K.; Huai-Min, Z. Hurricane and Typhoon Storm Wind Resolving NOAA NCEI Blended Sea Surface Wind (NBS) Product. Frontiers in Marine Sciences – Ocean Observation 2022, 9, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.935549.

Latency Groups

0 Hours <= 24 Hours (NRT)

24+ hours (Delayed)

Latency Details

24 hrs (for NRT)

Spatial Resolution Groups

2km+

Spatial Resolution Details

0.25°

Platforms

Instruments

Data Providers

NOAA

NESDIS

NCEI

STAR

Product DOI

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.935549

Data Tool Links

Near Real-time: Coming Soon

Wind (6 hr [vector] + Daily [raster]): portal

Wind Stress (taux,tauy): portal -- coming soon

Science:

Wind (6 hr [vector] + Daily [raster]): portal

Wind Stress (taux,tauy): portal -- coming soon

Sample Filenames

Retrospective:

NBSv02_wind_6hourly_YYYYMMDD.nc

NBSv02_wind_stress_6hourly_YYYYMMDD.nc,

NBSv02_wind_daily_YYYYMMDD.nc,

NBSv02_wind_stress_daily_YYYYMMDD.nc,

NBSv02_wind_monthly_YYYYMM.nc,

NBSv02_wind_stress_monthly_YYYYMM.nc

NRT:

NBSv02_wind_6hourly_YYYYMMDD_nrt.nc

NBSv02_wind_stress_6hourly_YYYYMMDD_nrt.nc

NBSv02_wind_daily_YYYYMMDD_nrt.nc

NBSv02_wind_stress_daily_YYYYMMDD_nrt.nc

HTTPS

Near Real-time:

Wind (magnitude+uv components): https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/data/pub0015/coastwatch/blended/wind/nrt/uvcomp/

Wind Stress (taux,tauy): https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/data/pub0015/coastwatch/blended/wind/nrt/stress/

Science:

Wind (magnitude+uv components): https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/data/pub0015/coastwatch/blended/wind/science/uvcomp/

Wind Stress (taux,tauy): http://coastwatch.noaa.gov/data/pub0015/coastwatch/blended/wind/science/stress/

THREDDS

NRT and Science:

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/thredds/socd/coastwatch/catalog_ncei_global_winds.html

ERDDAP

NRT and Science:

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov//erddap/search/index.html?page=1&itemsPerPage=1000&searchFor=noaacwBlendedWind

Winds from Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I)

jebidiah.jeffery — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 15:29:52 +0000

Winds from Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I)

Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) / Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) Wind Speed

jebidiah.jeffery Thu, 03/17/2022 - 11:29

Temporal Coverage

Near real-time + 3 days

Product Families

Sea Surface Winds

Measurements

Sea Surface Wind Speed

Processing Levels

Level 3

Spatial Coverage

Global

Latency Groups

0 Hours <= 24 Hours (NRT)

Latency Details

Less than 24 hours

Spatial Resolution Groups

2km+

Spatial Resolution Details

0.33° (37 km)

Platforms

DMSP

Instruments

SSMIS

Data Providers

NOAA

NESDIS

OSPO

Data Tool Links

CoastWatch Near Real-Term Search

Sample Filenames

SSMI1630004as_WW.hdf

HTTPS

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/pub/socd1/coastwatch/products/ssmi/

Vector Winds OSCAT-2 SCATSAT-1

jebidiah.jeffery — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 15:29:22 +0000

Vector Winds OSCAT-2 SCATSAT-1

Ocean Surface Vector Winds (OSVW; magnitude and direction) from the Ocean Scatterometer (OSCAT) on SCATSAT-1.

jebidiah.jeffery Thu, 03/17/2022 - 11:29

OSCAT-2, aboard the SCATSAT-1 mission of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), is an active microwave sensor used to determine ocean surface level wind vectors through estimation of radar backscatter. The ISRO sensor data are processed by the NOAA OSVW team to estimate wind speed and direction in near real time with global coverage, every 4 hours with a spatial resolution of about 12.5 km. NOAA CoastWatch maps and distributes the OSVW products. See the "information" and "data access" tabs for more.

Temporal Coverage

Near real-time + 3 days

Product Families

Sea Surface Winds

Measurements

Sea Surface Vector Winds

Processing Levels

Level 3

Spatial Coverage

Global

Latency Groups

0 Hours <= 24 Hours (NRT)

Latency Details

Less than 24 hours

Spatial Resolution Groups

2km+

Spatial Resolution Details

12.5 km

Platforms

ScatSat-1

Instruments

OSCAT

Data Providers

NOAA

NESDIS

OSPO

Data Tool Links

CoastWatch Data Portal

CoastWatch Near Real-Term Search

Sample Filenames

SS201630004as_WW.hdf

HTTPS

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/pub/socd7/coastwatch/scatsat/netcdf/

Vector Winds ASCAT Metop-A/B/C

jebidiah.jeffery — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 15:27:54 +0000

Vector Winds ASCAT Metop-A/B/C

Ocean Surface Vector Winds (OSVW; magnitude and direction) from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) on Metop-A, Metop-B, and Metop-C. Metop-A was decommissioned November 15, 2021.

jebidiah.jeffery Thu, 03/17/2022 - 11:27

Ocean Surface Vector Winds (OSVW; magnitude and direction) from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) on Metop-A, Metop-B and Metop-C. Metop-A was decommissioned November 15, 2021.

ASCAT instruments aboard the Meteorological Operational satellite program (MetOp) from EUMETSAT are a series of active microwave sensors used to determine ocean surface level wind vectors through estimation of radar backscatter. The ASCAT sensor data are processed operationally by NOAA OSPO to estimate wind speed and direction in near real with global coverage; products are generated every 4 hours with a spatial resolution of about 25 km. NOAA CoastWatch maps and distributes the OSVW products. See the "information" and "data access" tabs for more.

Temporal Start Date

March 5, 2020

Temporal Coverage

Near real-time + 3 days
Currently stored in and available from our CoastWatch collection:
Metop A from 25 March 2020 to 15 November 2021;
Metop B from 26 March 2020 to present;
Metop C from 3 September 2021 to present

Product Families

Sea Surface Winds

Measurements

Sea Surface Vector Winds

Processing Levels

Level 3

Spatial Coverage

Global

Latency Groups

0 Hours <= 24 Hours (NRT)

Latency Details

Less than 24 hours

Spatial Resolution Groups

2km+

Spatial Resolution Details

25 km

Platforms

MetOp

Instruments

ASCAT

Data Providers

NOAA

NESDIS

OSPO

Data Tool Links

CoastWatch Data Portal

CoastWatch Near Real-Term Search

Sample Filenames

AS201630004Bas_WW.hdf

HTTPS

Products:

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/pub/socd1/coastwatch/products/ascat/

Metop:

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/pub/socd7/coastwatch/metop/ascat/

THREDDS

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/thredds/socd/coastwatch/catalog_ascat_global_winds.html

Synthetic Aperture Radar (Surface Roughness) Winds

jebidiah.jeffery — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 15:27:13 +0000

Synthetic Aperture Radar (Surface Roughness) Winds

Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery maps the surface microwave radar reflectivity at resolutions from a sub-meter to 100 m depending on the particular SAR satellite and mode. Since a radar provides its own illumination, imagery is independent of the time of day. At typical radar frequencies, SARs can image through clouds, so SARs are considered "all-weather" instruments. Several geophysical parameters can be derived from SAR including sea surface wind speed.

jebidiah.jeffery Thu, 03/17/2022 - 11:27

Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery maps the surface microwave radar reflectivity at resolutions from a sub-meter to 100 m depending on the particular SAR satellite and mode. Since a radar provides its own illumination, imagery is independent of the time of day. At typical radar frequencies, SARs can image through clouds, so SARs are considered "all-weather" instruments. Several gephysical parameters can be derived from SAR including sea surface wind speed.

For side-scanning SARs, the normalized radar cross section (NRCS) of the surface is proportional to the surface roughness on the scale of the radar wave length (from 3 to 30 cm). Ocean surface roughness on this scale is dependent on the local wind speed and direction. The higher the wind speed the larger the NRCS of the surface. The highest NRCS occurs when the radar look direction and wind direction are aligned and smallest when the radar looks cross wind.

The relationship between wind speed and direction and radar cross section is called the "geophysical model function." These functions are generally empirically determined.

Although we can predict an expected NRCS value for a given wind speed and direction, the reverse is not true. A specific NRCS value can be associated with many pairs of wind speed and direction. If we know the wind direction a priori, we can infer the wind speed.

For the operational SAR-derived wind speed products, we use the model directions from NOAA’s Global Forecast System (GFS) model on a 0.5 degree, latitude-longitude grid to initiate the retrievals. The wind speed retrievals are provided at 500 m resolution. These retrievals agree with independent wind speed estimates to better than 2 m/s.

Current users of these data are the US National Ice Center, the Alaska Weather Service, and the Naval Oceanographic Office.

A good review of SAR operational wind speed retrieval can be found at: http://tos.org/oceanography/assets/docs/26-2_monaldo.pdf

Product Families

Sea Surface Roughness

Sea Surface Winds

Monaldo, F.M., C.R. Jackson, and W.G. Pichel. 2013. Seasat to RADARSAT-2: Research to operations. Oceanography 26(2):34–45, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2013.29
SAR Marine User Manual (2004) Christopher Jackson and John Apel, Editors

Measurements

Normalized Radar Cross-Section

Sea Surface Wind Speed

Processing Levels

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Spatial Coverage

Selective Acquisitions

Latency Groups

0 Hours <= 24 Hours (NRT)

Latency Details

Less than 24 hours

Spatial Resolution Groups

0 m <= 100 m

100m < 2km

Spatial Resolution Details

NRCS: Variable, 0-10 m
Winds: 500 m

Platforms

Instruments

Data Providers

NOAA

NESDIS

OSPO

Data Tool Links

CoastWatch Tools

CoastWatch Near Real-Time Search

Other Search Tools

Radarsat Constellation Mission / Radarsat-2 (MECB)

Sentinel-1 SAR Winds Search Tool (MECB)

Radarsat Constellation Mission + RadarSat-2 + Sentinel-1 SAR Winds Search Tool (OSPO) [Formally Operational]

Sample Filenames

Filenames begin with satellite, data source, year, month, day, hour, minute, second, Julian seconds, center latitude, center longitude, polarization, delimited with an underscore

NRCS: S1A_ESA_2016_12_07_18_18_57_0534449937_178.66E_51.85N_VV_C5_GFS05 CDF_nrcs_level2.png
Wind: S1A_ESA_2016_12_07_18_18_57_0534449937_178.66E_51.85N_VV_C5_GFS05 CDF_wind_level3.png

THREDDS

https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/thredds/socd/coastwatch/catalog_SAR_winds_granule.html

NCEI Archive

SAR Winds:

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/sar-wind-data-quality-monitoring

Along-track significant wave height, wind speed and sea level anomaly from multiple altimeters

jebidiah.jeffery — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 15:09:40 +0000

Along-track significant wave height, wind speed and sea level anomaly from multiple altimeters

The NOAA Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry's (LSA) sea surface height team produces 0.25-degree longitude/latitude Level-3 significant wave height, wind speed, and sea level anomaly (SLA) daily datasets by applying optimal interpolation to along-track satellite observations over the global ocean from a constellation of radar altimeter missions. Theses grids are produced with near-real time (3-5 hour latency) data.

jebidiah.jeffery Thu, 03/17/2022 - 11:09

Temporal Start Date

September 1, 2016

Temporal Coverage

Along-track data products available 09-2016 to present for Jason-3; Sentinel-3A; CryoSat-2; SARAL.

Jason-2 ended 1 Oct 2019.

Product Families

Sea Surface Height

Sea Surface Winds

Measurements

Along-track Significant Wave Height

Sea Surface Height Anomalies

Sea Surface Wind Speed

Processing Levels

Level 2

Spatial Coverage

Global

Latency Groups

0 Hours <= 24 Hours (NRT)

Latency Details

~ 1 day

Spatial Resolution Groups

2km+

Spatial Resolution Details

0.25°

Platforms

Instruments

Processing Algorithms

RADS

Data Providers

NOAA

NESDIS

STAR

LSA

Data Tool Links

CoastWatch Data Portal

HTTPS

Jason 2:

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/data/pub0010/lsa/johnk/coastwatch/j2/

Jason-3:

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/data/pub0010/lsa/johnk/coastwatch/j3/

Sentinel-3A:

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/data/pub0010/lsa/johnk/coastwatch/3a/

Sentinel-3B:

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/data/pub0010/lsa/johnk/coastwatch/3b/

CryoSat-2:

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/data/pub0010/lsa/johnk/coastwatch/c2/

SARAL:

https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/data/pub0010/lsa/johnk/coastwatch/sa/

OceanWatch Monitor

jebidiah.jeffery — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 15:48:05 +0000

OceanWatch Monitor

This OceanWatch Monitor provides an easy way for CoastWatch users to assess the state of the available products at one location (under one URL). The current capability includes monitoring of five different environmental data record (EDRs): Ocean Color (OC) Chlorophyll-a, Sea Surface Height (SSH), Sea Surface Salinity (SSS), Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Sea Surface Wind (SSW) aka Ocean Surface Vector Wind. The OM framework is flexible to accommodate newer products for existing EDRs, and scalable for adding a newer EDR. Besides product monitoring within a given EDR family, it is envisioned to allow a joint analysis of different EDRs under an inter-thematic module. However, not all available CW products have been included in the monitor yet and this will be done incrementally. Likewise, the various data sets may have different latencies depending on their scientific needs. See Quickstart Userguide for more information.

jebidiah.jeffery Thu, 11/04/2021 - 11:48

Webpage

Link to OceanWatch Monitor

Monitor Type

Data Assurance

Quality Assurance

Product Types Monitored

Ocean Color

Sea Surface Height

Sea Surface Salinity

Sea Surface Winds

Sea Surface Temperature

Maintainer

CoastWatch Team

CoastWatch Data Quality & Availability Dashboard

jebidiah.jeffery — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 13:39:01 +0000

CoastWatch Data Quality & Availability Dashboard

This Data Availability Dashboard gives a concise report of product availability and a quick look at a bulk time series to monitor for product stability

jebidiah.jeffery Thu, 11/04/2021 - 09:39

Webpage

Link to CoastWatch Data & Data Availability Dashboard

Monitor Type

Data Assurance

Quality Assurance

Product Types Monitored

Ocean Color

Polar Sea Ice

Sea Surface Height

Sea Surface Salinity

Sea Surface Winds

Sea Surface Temperature

Maintainer

CoastWatch Team