Remote Sensing Systems Radiometer Rain Collocations with JPL RapidScat L2B Swath Grid

This dataset contains the multi-sourced microwave radiometer wind speed, rain and cloud liquid water data collocated to RapidScat Level 2B wind vector cell (WVC) locations. The corresponding NASA mission is officially referred to as ISS-RapidScat. This dataset is produced by Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) with direct funding from the JPL RapidScat project. All of the collocated radiometer data is produced by RSS. The co-located radiometer sources include: 1) DMSP SSM/I (F15) and SSMIS (F16/F17), 2) Coriolis WindSat, 3) GCOM-W1 AMSR2 and 4) GPM Core GMI; more details on these radiometer sources and sensors can be extracted by scrolling down to the "Platform/Sensor" section below this description. RapidScat is a Ku-band dual beam circular rotating scatterometer retaining much of the same hardware and functionality of QuikSCAT, with exception of the antenna sub-system and digital interface to the International Space Station (ISS) Columbus module, which is where RapidScat is mounted. Unlike QuikSCAT, ISS-RapidScat is not in sun-synchronous orbit, and flies at roughly half the altitude with a low inclination angle that restricts data coverage to the tropics and mid-latitude regions; the extent of latitudinal coverage stretches from approximately 61 degrees North to 61 degrees South. Furthermore, there is no consistent local time of day retrieval. This dataset is provided in a netCDF-4 file format that follows the netCDF "classic" model and made available via FTP and OPeNDAP. For data access, please click on the "Data Access" tab above.