Data Formats

Sentinel-3 SLSTR User Guide - Introduction to Data Format

The SLSTR data format follows the format defined for each Sentinel-3 product, i.e. the PDGS product specification, and is based on SENTINEL-SAFE. Each product package includes:

  • a manifest file containing a metadata section and a data object section
  • measurement data files
  • annotation data files (except for SL_2_WST_)
  • representation data files (XML files describing the binary information)(Level-0 only).

User product, generated for operational dissemination to Sentinel-3 users, has to be distinguished from the internal product, which is only used internally for normal processing.

Following the three main processes, there are three main data packages: Level-0, Level-1 and Level-2.

The Sentinel-3 user products are disseminated in Product Dissemination Units (PDU), in order to ease the online dissemination and data handling for the users.

The PDU is a portion of data and is defined per product type.

Table 1: Description and content of the different SLSTR product packages, the estimated size corresponds to a full orbit without consideration about compression, NRT/NTC less than 3/48 hours after measurement by satellite
Name of
Product Package
Main Content Availability Latency Estimated Size per orbit Product Dissemination Unit
SL_0_SLT Full resolution ISPs Internal NRT 7.2 GB N/A
SL_1_RBT Brightness temperatures and radiances User NRT/NTC 44.5 GB Frame 3 mn
for both NRT and NTC
SL_2_WCT Sea surface temperature
(single and dual view, 2 and 3 channels)
Internal NRT/NTC 4.1 GB N/A
SL_2_WST Level-2P sea surface temperature (GHRSST-like) User NRT/NTC 2.2 GB NRT = Frame 3 mn
NTC = Full orbit (from pole to pole)
SL_2_LST__ Land surface temperature parameters User NRT/NTC 5 GB NRT = Frame 3 mn
NTC = Full orbit (from pole to pole)
SL_2_FRP Fire radiative power User NRT/NTC 4.4 GB NRT = Frame 3 mn
NTC = Full orbit (pole to pole)
SL_2_AOD Aerosol Optical Depth User NRT 0.079 GB NRT + Frame 3 min

Note: an AOD NTC product will be generated by the Level-2 synergy processor, exploiting the synergy between OLCI and SLSTR. Details on Level-2 SYN page

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