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Ocean Topography and Cryosphere (OTC) Branch/ Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry (LSA)

Radar Altimeter Database System (RADS)

RADS logo

The Radar Altimeter Database Systemthis link opens in a new window (RADS) is employed at NESDIS/STAR as an enterprise multi-mission algorithm providing consistent sea level anomaly, waves, and ocean surface wind speed products. RADS was originally designed as a database tool for expert altimetry users but through NOAA CoastWatch and LSA training materials, but can be used at both expert and entry levels: advisory councils, water management authorities, teachers, and students. RADS is a joint effort of the NOAA Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry (LSA), EUMETSATthis link opens in a new window, and Department of Earth Observation and Space Systemsthis link opens in a new window (DEOS) at the Delft University of Technology.

RADS uses a consistent set of corrections to produce homogenized data from multiple missions (over a dozen, currently) that in turn are used to generate Level-2P products for operational users, including data assimilation at NOAA, NASA, and the US Navy (e.g. the Global Real-Time Ocean Forecast System (Global RTOFS) and the West Coast Operational Forecast System) and Level-2P and Level-3 products distributed through NOAA CoastWatch (Sea Level Anomaly and along-track altimetry). Near-real-time RADS files are supplied to the National Hurricane Center. RADS is also used as a calibration/validation platform for Jason-3, Sentinel-3, and Sentinel-6.

The RADS database is a collection of continually updated NetCDF datasets. Geophysical Data Records and associated corrections are processed and stored in homogenized NetCDF pass files. Near real-time processing is done two times per day at NOAA for the following missions: Jason-3, Sentinel-3A, Sentinel-3B, AltiKa/SARAL, and CryoSat-2. Reprocessing is done jointly with EUMETSAT. These files are then used to generate higher-level products using the RADS data utilities and other algorithms.

RADS4 schematic
Schematic of RADS and product production

Publications:

Recent publications that have used RADS data and utilities can be found in RADS publications.

Citation:

Scharroo, R., E. W. Leuliette, J. L. Lillibridge, D. Byrne, M. C. Naeije, and G. T. Mitchum, RADS: Consistent multi-mission products, in Proc. of the Symposium on 20 Years of Progress in Radar Altimetry, Venice, 20-28 September 2012, European Space Agency Special Publication, ESA SP-710, p. 4 pp., 2013.

Documentation:

There are two manuals that cover the use of the RADS software and the contents of the RADS data base:

RADS User Manualthis link opens in a new window The user manual describes step-by-step installation and configuration details, command-line tool/utilities usage/syntax, and the RADS library (a Fortran90 module providing the main functionalities for the RADS4 software).

RADS Data Manualthis link opens in a new window The data manual describes the details of variables used in the RADS database.

The RADS Utilities page describes additional support offered by NOAA CoastWatch.

RADS requirements: