Data Products  › Product & Algorithm
In order to utilize AMSR and AMSR-E data, product format and algorithm overviews, how to access products, and useful tools for display and analysis them are introduced.

Product & Algorithm

1. Product

  • * The available products
    • Level1B (Brightness temperature data converted from L1A)
    • Level1R (Resampling brightness temperature data converted from L1B)
    • Level2 (Geophysical parameters retrieved from L1B product)
    • Level3 (Daily and monthly global average of L1B and L2 products)
    • AMSR-E Slow Rotation Data (Brightness temperature)
    • Note: Level1B Map and Level2 Map went out of production.

  • * Product Level
    Level 1A Engineering values from the instrument. For AMSR/AMSR-E, they correspond to digital numbers (DN) converted from instrument output voltages. Other necessary information for higher-level processing, including satellite attitudes and the instrument condition, is also included. Data are not map-projected, but stored in the swath format. (Not open to public)
    Level 1B Fundamental physical values observed by the instrument. For AMSR/AMSR-E, they correspond to brightness temperatures. Data location and quality information are also included. Data are not map-projected, but stored in the swath format.
    Level 1R
    (new product)    		 Brightness temperature data converted from Level 1B data. Data are resampled with equal footprint size for each frequency.
    Level 2 Geophysical parameters estimated by retrieval algorithms. Data location and quality information are also included. Data are not map-projected, but stored in the swath format.
    Level 3 Temporal and spatial averaged values are projected onto global grids. For AMSR/AMSR-E, daily and monthly global grids are generated for brightness temperatures and geophysical parameters.
    Near real-time products are distributed to specific operational institutes such as the Japan Meteorological Agency and the Japan Fisheries Information Service Center. They are utilized for practical purposes such as weather forecasting or fishery predictions.
    There are two categories in geophysical products; standard products and research product. Research products will be upgraded to standard products after constant quality is confirmed.

    * Standard Products
    Product level Product Name Region Note Remark
    Level 1B, 1R Brightness Temperature Global link
    Level 2, 3 Integrated Water Vapor (Total Precipitable Water) Global Ocean 1) link Columnar value
    Level 2, 3 Integrated Cloud Liquid Water Global Ocean 1) link Columnar value
    Level 2, 3 Precipitation Global Ocean 1) link Surface rainfall rate and accumulated rainfall amount
    Level 2, 3 Sea Surface Wind Speed Global Ocean 1) link
    Level 2, 3 Sea Surface Temperature Global Ocean 1) link Available through cloud
    Level 2, 3 Sea Ice Concentration Both polar-regions and Sea of Okhotsk link
    Level 2, 3 Snow Water Equivalent Land area except forest region link
    Level 2, 3 Soil Moisture Land area except ice sheet and dense forest link
    1) Except sea- ice and precipitation area.2)Except sea- ice area.

    * Research Products (AMSR-E Slow Rotation Data)
    AMSR-E Slow Rotation Data


2. Retrieval Algorithms

Retrieval algorithms for AMSR standard products was developed by principal investigators who were selected through an algorithm inter-comparison process by the AMSR/AMSR-E Sensor Team.
Principal investigators
Geophysical products Standard Algorithm
Standard Product Integrated water vapor Y. Takeuchi
Integrated cloud liquid water F. Wentz
Precipitation G. Liu
Sea surface wind speed A. Shibata
Sea surface temperature A. Shibata
Sea ice concentration J. Comiso
Snow depth A. Chang and R. Kelly
Soil moisture T. Koike