MetOp-A ASCAT Level 2 25.0 km Ocean Surface Wind Vectors

This dataset contains operational near-real-time Level 2 ocean surface wind vector retrievals from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) on MetOp-A at 25 km sampling resolution (note: the effective resolution is 50 km). It is a product of the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI SAF) provided through the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI). The wind vector retrievals are currently processed using the CMOD7.n geophysical model function using a Hamming filter to spatially average the Sigma-0 data in the ASCAT L1B data. Each file is provided in netCDF version 3 format, and contains one full orbit derived from 3-minute orbit granules. Latency is approximately 2 hours from the latest measurement. The beginning of the orbit is defined by the first wind vector cell measurement within the first 3-minute orbit granule that starts north of the Equator in the ascending node. ASCAT is a C-band dual fan beam radar scatterometer providing two independent swaths of backscatter retrievals in sun-synchronous polar orbit aboard the MetOp-A platform. For more information on the MetOp mission, please visit: https://www.eumetsat.int/our-satellites/metop-series . For more timely announcements, users are encouraged to register with the KNMI scatterometer email list: scat@knmi.nl. Users are also highly advised to check the dataset user guide periodically for updates and new information on known problems and issues. All intellectual property rights of the OSI SAF products belong to EUMETSAT. The use of these products is granted to every interested user, free of charge. If you wish to use these products, EUMETSAT's copyright credit must be shown by displaying the words "copyright (year) EUMETSAT" on each of the products used.