NOUS41 KWBC 221512
PNSWSH

TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 08-68
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1115 AM EDT FRI AUG 22 2008

TO:       SUBSCRIBERS:
          -FAMILY OF SERVICES
          -NOAAPORT
          OTHER NWS PARTNERS...USERS AND EMPLOYEES
 
FROM:     JASON TUELL
          CHIEF...SCIENCE PLANS BRANCH
          OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

SUBJECT:  NESDIS ASCAT OCEAN SURFACE WINDS TO BE ADDED
TO SBN/NOAAPORT: EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 4 2008

EFFECTIVE TUESDAY NOVEMBER 4 2008...BEGINNING AT APPROXIMATELY 
1500 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/...THE NATIONAL 
ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE...DATA...AND INFORMATION SERVICE 
/NESDIS/ AND NWS WILL BEGIN DISSEMINATION OF ASCAT SCATTEROMETER 
OCEAN SURFACE WIND PRODUCTS VIA SBN/NOAAPORT.

THESE ASCAT OCEAN SURFACE WINDS FROM THE METOP ASCAT SENSOR HAVE 
A SENSOR RESOLUTION OF 25 KM. THE METOP IS A POLAR ORBITING 
SATELLITE PROVIDING APPROXIMATELY TWO FLYOVERS PER DAY...MORE IN 
THE HIGH LATITUDE REGIONS. METOP HAS TAKEN OVER THE MID MORNING 
POLAR ORBIT PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED BY A NOAA TIROS...N SATELLITE.

EACH ORBIT HAS A DURATION OF APPROXIMATELY 101 MINUTES. THE RAW 
DATA ARE PROCESSED BY NESDIS INTO POINT VALUES OF WIND SPEED AND 
DIRECTION...THEN ENCODED INTO BUFR.

THESE ASCAT WINDS ORIGINALLY WERE TO BE IMPLEMENTED WITH THE 
HIGH DENSITY QUIKSCAT WINDS FROM THE SEAWINDS SCATTEROMETER 
SENSOR /SEE TIN08-29/...BUT WITH A DELAY IN 
IMPLEMENTATION...ASCAT WAS REMOVED FROM THAT TIN...AND THIS TIN 
WAS CREATED.

THE WMO HEADINGS /T1T2A1A2II CCCC/ FOR THESE PRODUCTS WILL BE 
OF THE FORM:

     T1:     J
     T2:     S
     A1:     X 
     A2:     X
     II:     REGION /SEE TABLE BELOW/
     CCCC:   KNES

THE ASCAT WIND PRODUCTS WILL BE PROVIDED OVER THE FOLLOWING NINE 
GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS...WHICH HAVE AN AGGREGATE AREA OF COVERAGE 
FROM 75N TO 35S AND FROM 35W TO 130E /CROSSING THE INTERNATIONAL 
DATELINE/:

REGION  II  COVERAGE

AREA1   01  35S TO 37N...35W TO 90W
AREA2   02  37N TO 75N...35W TO 90W
AREA3   03  35S TO 37N...90W TO 109W
AREA4   04  37N TO 75N...90W TO 109W
AREA5   05  35S TO 42N...109W TO 140W
AREA6   06  42N TO 75N...109W TO 128W
             4N TO 42N...128W TO 140W
AREA7   07  35S TO 50N...140W TO 180
AREA8   08  35S TO 50N...180 TO 130E
AREA9   09  52N TO 75N...128W TO 140W
            50N TO 75N...140W TO 130E

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE TECHNICAL DETAILS OF 
THESE PRODUCTS OR THEIR GENERATION...PLEASE CONTACT:
 
     GENE LEGG
     NESDIS...OSDPD...IPD
     CAMP SPRINGS MARYLAND
     PHONE: 301 763 8051 EXT 107
     EMAIL: GENE.LEGG@NOAA.GOV 

     OR

     PAUL CHANG
     NESDIS...ORA...ORAD
     CAMP SPRINGS MARYLAND
     PHONE: 301 763 8231 EXT 167
     EMAIL: PAUL.S.CHANG@NOAA.GOV 

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE SBN/NOAAPORT ACTIVATION 
OF THESE PRODUCTS...PLEASE CONTACT:

     DAVE NIVER
     NWS...OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY  
     SILVER SPRING MARYLAND 
     PHONE: 301 713 0211 EXT 180 
     EMAIL: DAVE.NIVER@NOAA.GOV

THIS AND OTHER NWS TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES ARE 
AVAILABLE ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/: 
 
     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM 

$$
NNNN