Copernicus Sentinel-1 L1 and L2 Products: New Processing Baseline

We are pleased to announce a new processing baseline for Copernicus Sentinel-1 L1 and L2 products.

The products generated after the deployment of this version tag version 3.8.0 of the operational processor in the corresponding product metadata.

The new Processing Baseline includes:

• Level-1:

  • Correction of burst ID annotation in SLC products for acquisitions close the ascending nodes. This was a recurrent anomaly reported in quality disclaimers Nr. 215, 213 and correlated ones (see https://sar-mpc.eu/disclaimer/);

  • Transfer of all parameters related to configuration of RFI mitigation from internal configuration to the auxiliary data file AUX_PP1, making the parameters visible to end users.

• Level-2:

  • Support to Sentinel-1C and Sentinel-1D data

  • Correction of projection of the Simulated Cross Spectra extracted from simulated cross-spectral (in AUX_SCS auxiliary data file) into the computed cross spectra. This was a long stating software issue preventing further improvement of the swell inversion.

  • update of AUX_SCS format: change the format and content of the simulated cross spectra considered for swell inversion.

  • Declaration of a new auxiliary data file called AUX_ML2 which contains machine learning models considered by the Level-2 processor (currently for Total Significant Wave Height estimation and flagging of the swell partitions). Those models were not available for the end-users before and their placement in an auxiliary data file aims to support open science and an easier update of processing baseline after an eventual retraining.

  • Correction of denoising performed by the swell inversion module for estimation of wind speed and activation of the de-noising via dedicated AUX_PP2 configuration.

The new processing baseline will be deployed on 12th of June 2024.

The Sentinel-1 Level-2 OSW Algorithm Technical Baseline and Sentinel-1 product specification documents were minimally amended in accordance to the Level-2 changes, but with no change in product format. Moreover the Sentinel-1 Auxiliary product specification was extended to include description of the new auxiliary data file (AUX_ML2) and update description of AUX_SCS and AUX_PP1 formats. The applicable documents to version 3.8.0 can be accessed here.

Please note that upon deployment, a temporary deactivation of total HS in the L2 OSW product (oswTotalHs) will be implemented, as disclaimed in here. The date for reactivation of the variable remains to be confirmed.