| Instrument | Agency | Missions | Status | Type | Measurements &
applications | Technical characteristics |
Advanced Scatterometer
Advanced Scatterometer | ROSHYDROMET | Current: -
Future: Meteor-MP N1, Meteor-MP N2, Meteor-MP N3
Complete: - | Proposed | Scatterometers | Ocean surface wind measurements. |
| Waveband: | C (or X) - band, TBD
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | 25 km
Best resolution: 25 m |
| Swath width: | 1800 km |
| Accuracy: | Wind speed: 2 m/s, direction: 20 grad |
| Data Access: | Very Constrained Access |
| Data Format: | |
|
ASCAT
Advanced Scatterometer | EUMETSAT (ESA) | Current: Metop-B, Metop-C
Future: -
Complete: Metop-A | Operational | Scatterometers | Measures wind speed and direction over ocean, soil moisture, sea ice cover, sea ice type, snow cover and snow parameters and vegetation parameters |
| Waveband: | Microwave: C Band, 5.256 GHz
MW, C-Band |
| Spatial resolution: | Hi-res mode: 25 - 37 km, Nominal mode: 50 km
Best resolution: 25000 m |
| Swath width: | Continuous; 2 x 500 km swath width |
| Accuracy: | Wind speeds in range 4 - 24 m/s: 2 m/s and direction accuracy of 20 deg |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | Native, BUFR |
|
SCA
SCA | EUMETSAT (ESA) | Current: -
Future: METOP-SG B1, METOP-SG B2, METOP-SG B3
Complete: - | Being developed | Scatterometers | Measures wind speed and direction over ocean, soil moisture, sea ice cover, sea ice type, snow cover and snow parameters and vegetation parameters |
| Waveband: | Microwave: C Band, 5.355 GHz
C-Band |
| Spatial resolution: | 25 km |
| Swath width: | 2 x 660 km swath width |
| Accuracy: | Wind speeds in range 4 - 24 m/s |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | NetCDF-4 |
|
SCAT
Scatterometer | NSOAS | Current: HY-2C, HY-2D
Future: HY-2E, HY-2F, HY-2G
Complete: HY-2A, HY-2B | Operational | Scatterometers | Monitoring global sea surface winds. |
| Waveband: | 13.2515 GHz, HH, VV
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | 50 km |
| Swath width: | 1300 km |
| Accuracy: | 0.5 dB |
| Data Access: | |
| Data Format: | |
|
SCAT
Wind SCATerometer | CNES | Current: CFOSAT
Future: -
Complete: - | Operational | Scatterometers | Ocean surface wind vector |
| Waveband: | Ku-band
Ku-Band |
| Spatial resolution: | |
| Swath width: | |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Constrained Access |
| Data Format: | |
|
Scatterometer (Oceansat-3)
Scatterometer (Oceansat-3) | ISRO | Current: OCEANSAT-3
Future: -
Complete: - | Operational | Scatterometers | Ocean surface wind measurements, continuity to ocean vector wind |
| Waveband: | 13.515 GHz
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | 25 km
Best resolution: 25000 m |
| Swath width: | 1440 km |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | |
|
SWIM
Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring | CNES | Current: CFOSAT
Future: -
Complete: - | Operational | Scatterometers | Ku-band Real-aperture radar (RAR) system, multi-incindence beams(0-10°) and azimuth scanning. Measurement of 2D ocean waves spectrum |
| Waveband: | Ku-band
Ku-Band |
| Spatial resolution: | 50x50km on 2D spectra |
| Swath width: | 140 km |
| Accuracy: | accuracy for wave estimates: minimum detectable wavelength of about 70 m, maximum detectable wavelength about 500m, accuracy in wave propagation direction of about 15°, accuracy in wavelength of 10 to 20%, accuracy in significant wave height of 10% or better than 40-50 cm (TBC) |
| Data Access: | Constrained Access |
| Data Format: | netcdf |
|
WindRAD
Wind Radar | NSMC-CMA (CNSA) | Current: FY-3E
Future: FY-3J
Complete: - | Operational | Scatterometers | Measures sea-surface wind vector. |
| Waveband: | C and Ku band.
Ku-Band, C-Band |
| Spatial resolution: | 25 × 0.5km (C band), 10 × 0.5km (Ku band)
Best resolution: 10000 m |
| Swath width: | Conical scanning with incidence angles 36-45° (C-band) and 37-43° (Ku-band). Swath > 1200 km. |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | L-1 data: HDF 5.0 |
|