The SeaWinds instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite is a specialized radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction at a 25km resolution. This instrument was launched on 19 June 1999 and has been measuring winds over approximately 90% of the ice-free ocean on a daily basis since 19 July 1999. The dataset has two productshas two products: Level 2B data and 0.5 degree gridded fields.

The Level 2B data set consists of wind vector solutions for all four wind vector ambiguities as well as the Direction Interval Retrieval with Threshold Nudging (DIRTH) wind vector solution. These data are available along satellite orbital swaths and have a period of record through 2002. The 0.5 degree gridded fields are available twice daily for 75S to 75N latitudes and have a period record through 2003.

These data are produced at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). More information and data (other products, versions, more current periods) are available at the JPL QuikSCAT website

Notice 07/28/2006: JPL PODAAC has initiated reprocessing of all ADEOS-II and QuikSCAT data with superior algorithms for retrievals in high wind speed and light rain areas. This reprocessing could effect this dataset. More information is available at JPL PO.DAAC.