Identification

Title

In-orbit performance of the constellation of CYGNSS hurricane satellites

Abstract

The NASA Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) constellation of eight satellites was successfully launched into low Earth orbit on 15 December 2016. Each satellite carries a radar receiver that measures GPS signals scattered from the surface. Wind speed over the ocean is determined from distortions in the signal caused by wind-driven surface roughness. GPS operates at a sufficiently low frequency to allow for propagation through all precipitation, including the extreme rain rates present in the eyewall of tropical cyclones. The spacing and orbit of the satellites were chosen to optimize frequent sampling of tropical cyclones. In this study, we characterize the CYGNSS ocean surface wind speed measurements by their uncertainty, dynamic range, sensitivity to precipitation, spatial resolution, spatial and temporal sampling, and data latency. The current status of each of these properties is examined and potential future improvements are discussed. In addition, examples are given of current science investigations that make use of the data.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d75h7kdx

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2019-10-01T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact