The PO.DAAC is pleased to announce the public release of the CYGNSS Level 3 (L3) Storm Centric Grid (SCG) Science Data Record (SDR) Version 1.0 (V1.0) dataset. More information regarding the CYGNSS mission and instrumentation is available from PO.DAAC’s mission webpage. The SCG 1.0 dataset provides the average wind speed combined from aggregated wind speed measurements made by the entire CYGNSS constellation whose specular points are located near a storm of interest in latitude, longitude and time. Data are provided on both a 0.1x0.1 degree latitude by longitude equirectangular grid and storm centric coordinates obtained from the Delay Doppler Mapping Instrument (DDMI) aboard the CYGNSS satellite constellation. Storm centric coordinates are derived from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) Best Track dataset to produce a 6 hourly wind speed averaging window. A single netCDF-4 data file is produced for each storm. Each storm is uniquely identified by the year, storm basin, and a storm number. SCG files are produced for named storms, as defined by the NHC, that reach hurricane strength (i.e., having a maximum sustained wind speed of at least 65 knots). Wind speed inputs are provided by the CYGNSS Level 2 SDR Version 3.0 (https://doi.org/10.5067/CYGNS-L2X30).

Details of the data processing and validation are provided in the SCG Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document and the Mayers (2021) dissertation paper. As a result of the dependency on the SDR Version 3.0 data used as input, the dataset time period begins on 5 August 2018 and continues through 29 October 2019. This dataset is intended for historical storm analysis, and as such, this dataset will be periodically updated based on the availability of the NHC Best Track storm center information that is typically made available in the month of April of the present year in procurement of data for the previous year's hurricane season. Due to the dependency on NHC Best Track data, the SCG files produced in this dataset are confined to storms in the Northern Hemisphere within the North Atlantic and East Pacific ocean regions.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5067/CYGNS-L3S10

Citation: CYGNSS. 2021. CYGNSS Level 3 Storm Centric Grid Science Data Record Version 1.0. Ver. 1.0. PO.DAAC, CA, USA. Dataset accessed [YYYY-MM-DD] at https://doi.org/10.5067/CYGNS-L3S10

References:

1. Mayers, D., 2021: New Applications of Satellite-Measured Tropical Cyclone Wind Speed. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Michigan, 126 pp. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~cruf/pubs/Mayers_Dissertation_UMichigan_2021.pdf
2. Mayers, D., C. Ruf, T. Butler, D. McKague, 2021: Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document Level 3 Storm-Centric Gridded Wind Speed, University of Michigan, No.148-0400, 14 pp. https://podaac-tools.jpl.nasa.gov/drive/files/allData/cygnss/L3/docs/148-0400_Storm-Centric_Winds_ATBD.pdf

Comments/Questions? Please contact podaac@podaac.jpl.nasa.gov or visit the PO.DAAC Ocean Wind Forum.