DYCOMS-II Satellite:  ERS-1 Scatterometer Winds Imagery (JPG)


1.0  General Information


The ERS-1 Scatterometer Winds Imagery (JPG) is one of several 
satellite products collected as part of the Dynamics and 
Chemistry of Marine Stratocumulus Phase II:  Entrainment Studies
(DYCOMS-II) project field catalog operated by the University 
Corporation for Atmospheric Research/Joint Office for Science 
Support (UCAR/JOSS; http://www.joss.ucar.edu/dycoms/catalog/).
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) utilizes the European Remote 
Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) scatterometer to retrieve surface wind 
vectors.  The products cover the period from 1 - 31 July 2001 
and cover the region from 5S to 40N and 100W to 180W.  The 
products are available at varying times.  The products were 
acquired from the NRL 
(http://kauai.nrlmry.navy.mil/sat-bin/clouds/nrl/clouds_west).
All images are in jpg format.


2.0  Data Contact


Jeff Hawkins (hawkins@nrlmry.navy.mil)


3.0  Product Information


The European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) carries an active 
microwave scatterometer with the capability to retrieve surface
wind vectors (both direction and speed) over the 500 km swath. 
The products displayed here are provided via cooperative work 
with Dr Paul Chang NOAA/NESDIS and aimed at researchers 
interested in the western Pacific and Indian Ocean basins. Plots 
covering both basins are updated four (4) times per day and 
contain the latest 18 hours of scatterometer winds available. 

Wind vectors are plotted in the normal meteorological wind barb 
notation and have also been color coded according to the color
wedge in the upper right hand corner to quickly aid the viewer's 
search for high wind domains. The color table has been purposely 
broken up into numerous 5 and 10 knot regimes, so the viewer can 
rapidly identify regions experiencing winds within a certain wind 
speed range (e.g., winds between 20-25 kt.). 


4.0  Quality Control Procedures


UCAR/JOSS conducted no quality checks on these data.


5.0  File Naming Convention


The file names are structured as follows:

ers-1.yyyymmddhhmm.qscatt_scatt_wind_epac.jpg

Where ers-1 is the satellite used
      yyyy is the four digit year
      mm is the two digit month
      dd is the two digit day
      hh is the hour (UTC)
      mm is the minute
      qscatt_scatt_wind_epac is the name of the product


6.0  References


None.