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CYGNSS Level 2 Science Data Record Version 3.0

Published by NASA/JPL/PODAAC;NASA/ESSP/UMICH/CYGNSS | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Catalog Last Checked: May 18, 2026 at 03:42 PM | Dataset Last Updated: May 11, 2026
This dataset contains the Version 3.0 CYGNSS Level 2 Science Data Record which provides the time-tagged and geolocated average wind speed (m/s) and mean square slope (MSS) with 25x25 kilometer resolution from the Delay Doppler Mapping Instrument aboard the CYGNSS satellite constellation. This version supersedes Version 2.1; https://doi.org/10.5067/CYGNS-L2X21. The reported sample locations are determined by the specular points corresponding to the Delay Doppler Maps (DDMs). A subset of DDM data used in the direct processing of the average wind speed and MSS is co-located inside of the Level 2 data files. Only one netCDF data file is produced each day (each file containing data from up to 8 unique CYGNSS spacecraft) with a latency of approximately 6 days (or better) from the last recorded measurement time. Here is a summary of processing changes reflected in the v3.0 data: 1) the changes to calibration and validation of the Level 1 Normalized Bistatic Radar Cross Section (NBRCS) necessitated updates to the Geophysical Model Functions (GMFs) used to retrieve wind speed; 2) the GMF for fully developed seas (FDS) conditions was generating using matchups between NBRCS measurements and coincident wind speeds produced by NASAs Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis model; 3) the GMF for young seas with limited fetch (YSLF) was generated using matchups between NBRCS and coincident wind speeds produced by NOAAs Hurricane Weather Research and Forecast (HWRF) System; 4) YSLF wind speed is a tapered linear combination of wind speeds derived from the FDS and YSLF GMFs, where the taper gives more weight to FDS at low wind speeds and more to YSLF at high wind speeds and accounts for the transition from FDS to YSLF sea state conditions near cyclonic storms; 5) re-introduces measurements using transmissions from previously discarded GPS satellite block types; in prior versions, Block II-F was completely discarded due to large variations in GPS transmit power. The real time transmit power monitoring and correction implemented in Level 1 v3.0 data now allows Block II-F signals to be used.

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Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel public
bureauCode 
                                            [
  "026:00"
]
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "Earthdata Forum",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:earthdata-support@nasa.gov"
}
description This dataset contains the Version 3.0 CYGNSS Level 2 Science Data Record which provides the time-tagged and geolocated average wind speed (m/s) and mean square slope (MSS) with 25x25 kilometer resolution from the Delay Doppler Mapping Instrument aboard the CYGNSS satellite constellation. This version supersedes Version 2.1; https://doi.org/10.5067/CYGNS-L2X21. The reported sample locations are determined by the specular points corresponding to the Delay Doppler Maps (DDMs). A subset of DDM data used in the direct processing of the average wind speed and MSS is co-located inside of the Level 2 data files. Only one netCDF data file is produced each day (each file containing data from up to 8 unique CYGNSS spacecraft) with a latency of approximately 6 days (or better) from the last recorded measurement time. Here is a summary of processing changes reflected in the v3.0 data: 1) the changes to calibration and validation of the Level 1 Normalized Bistatic Radar Cross Section (NBRCS) necessitated updates to the Geophysical Model Functions (GMFs) used to retrieve wind speed; 2) the GMF for fully developed seas (FDS) conditions was generating using matchups between NBRCS measurements and coincident wind speeds produced by NASAs Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis model; 3) the GMF for young seas with limited fetch (YSLF) was generated using matchups between NBRCS and coincident wind speeds produced by NOAAs Hurricane Weather Research and Forecast (HWRF) System; 4) YSLF wind speed is a tapered linear combination of wind speeds derived from the FDS and YSLF GMFs, where the taper gives more weight to FDS at low wind speeds and more to YSLF at high wind speeds and accounts for the transition from FDS to YSLF sea state conditions near cyclonic storms; 5) re-introduces measurements using transmissions from previously discarded GPS satellite block types; in prior versions, Block II-F was completely discarded due to large variations in GPS transmit power. The real time transmit power monitoring and correction implemented in Level 1 v3.0 data now allows Block II-F signals to be used.
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identifier 10.5067/CYGNS-L2X30
keyword 
                                            [
  "earth-science-ocean-winds-oceans-surface-winds",
  "earth-science-ocean-winds-oceans-surface-winds-ocean-surface-wind-speed",
  "earth-science-radar-spectral-engineering-radar-cross-section",
  "earth-science-radar-spectral-engineering-radar-cross-section-bistatic-radar-cross-section",
  "earth-science-radar-spectral-engineering-radar-reflectivity",
  "earth-science-radar-spectral-engineering-sigma-naught"
]
license https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified 2026-05-11
programCode 
                                            [
  "026:000"
]
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "NASA/JPL/PODAAC;NASA/ESSP/UMICH/CYGNSS",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
spatial 
                                            "["CARTESIAN",[{"NorthBoundingCoordinate":40.0,"WestBoundingCoordinate":-180.0,"EastBoundingCoordinate":180.0,"SouthBoundingCoordinate":-40.0}]]"
temporal 2018-08-01/2026-05-04
theme 
                                            [
  "Earth Science"
]
title CYGNSS Level 2 Science Data Record Version 3.0

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