Types of dataset: SWOT Level 3 experimental products (SWOT L3_LR_WIND_WAVE)

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs):: 
Light SWOT L3_LR_WIND_WAVE: 10.24400/527896/a01-2024.016 -  more metadata
Extended SWOT L3_LR_WIND_WAVE: 10.24400/527896/a01-2024.017 -  more metadata

Contents: The SWOT KaRIn Level-3 Wind Wave product (L3_LR_WIND_WAVE) is an innovative product derived from the Unsmoothed L3_LR_SSH product (DOI 10.24400/527896/A01-2024.003) based on the algorithm presented in Ardhuin et al. 2024. It takes advantage of the KaRIn Low Rate (LR) chain's ability to resolve waves larger than about 500 meters in wavelength (about 18 s) and provides detailed information on the characteristics of these wave regimes, including significant wave height (SWH), dominant wavelength, and wave propagation direction. These regimes are typically associated with long-period swells and extreme events that play a critical role in ocean dynamics, coastal processes, and maritime operations.

Description: The SWOT L3_LR_WIND_WAVE product is organized in 2 subproducts:

• Light L3_LR_WIND_WAVE (or lightweight), which includes the spectrum of KaRIn L3 250-m SSHA corrected from instrumental effects, expressed in both cartesian and polar coordinates, the swell partition of the spectrum and the wave parameters integrated over this partition for both WW3 model and KaRIn (significant wave height, wavelength and direction)
• Extended L3_LR_WIND_WAVE, which includes the same variables as the light product below plus the WW3 spectrum in the same frequency grid as the KaRIn spectrum, the KaRIn transfer functions used for correction and some parameters derived from KaRIn observations (coherence, mean backscatter, etc.)

Use: Sea state characterization, extreme events, regional and coastal studies and short scales correlation with ocean variability

Condition of access:  SWOT L3_LR_WIND_WAVE is distributed by AVISO under standard AVISO+ license agreement.

Citation Light SWOT L3_LR_WIND_WAVE: "The SWOT_L3_LR_WIND_WAVE product, derived from the SWOT_L3_LR_SSH product, is produced by DUACS and LOPS teams, and made freely available by AVISO as part of the DESMOS and VAGUES Science Team projects". CLS/CNES., 2025. SWOT Level-3 KaRIn Wind Wave (v3.0) [Data set]. CNES. https://doi.org/10.24400/527896/a01-2024.016 "

Ardhuin, F., Molero, B., Bohé, A., Nouguier, F., Collard, F., Houghton, I., et al.(2024). Phase‐resolved swells across ocean basins in SWOT altimetry data: Revealing centimeter‐scale wave heights including coastal reflection. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL109658. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL109658 

Citation Extended SWOT L3_LR_WIND_WAVE: "The Extended SWOT_L3_LR_WIND_WAVE product, derived from the SWOT_L3_LR_SSH product, is produced by DUACS and LOPS teams, and made freely available by AVISO as part of the DESMOS and VAGUES Science Team projects". CLS/CNES., 2025. SWOT Level-3 KaRIn Wind Wave Extended (v3.0) [Data set]. CNES. https://doi.org/10.24400/527896/a01-2024.017 "

Ardhuin, F., Molero, B., Bohé, A., Nouguier, F., Collard, F., Houghton, I., et al.(2024). Phase‐resolved swells across ocean basins in SWOT altimetry data: Revealing centimeter‐scale wave heights including coastal reflection. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL109658. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL109658 

Geographic coverage: global

Resources: 

• SWOT L3_LR_WIND_WAVE User handbook
• SWOT_L3_WIND_WAVE V3 content
• Ardhuin, F., Molero, B., Bohé, A., Nouguier, F., Collard, F., Houghton, I., et al.(2024). Phase‐resolved swells across ocean basins in SWOT altimetry data: Revealing centimeter‐scale wave heights including coastal reflection. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL109658. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL109658 

Tutorials:

• GitHub SWOT community: https://github.com/SWOT-community/SWOT-galleries
• GitHub SWOT Swell: https://github.com/ardhuin/swellSWOT/