SAR Data and GIS

Resources to facilitate the use of ASF SAR datasets in GIS applications

Sentinel-1

ASF ArcGIS Toolbox

Radiometric Terrain Correction (RTC) — On Demand Cloud Processing (HyP3)

Data Recipes

– Radiometric Terrain Correction (RTC)

– Geocoding

ALOS PALSAR, ERS-1, ERS-2, RADARSAT-1, JERS-1

Data Recipes

ALOS PALSAR Radiometrically Terrain Corrected (RTC) Products

Data Recipes

Types of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Products at ASF

ASF product types and processing levels

The following table displays all product types and their processing levels available at the Alaska Satellite Facility DAAC.

Processing TypeProcessing LevelImage TypeProduct DescriptionOpen-source softwareCommercial software
Raw DataL0, L1.0, RAWUnfocusedUnprocessed signal data. Requires a SAR processor to be visualized.ISCEENVI SARscape
GAMMA
Single Look Complex (SLC)L1.1, SLCFocused (single look); has speckleContains amplitude and phase values. Retains slant-range geometry.ASF HyP3
Sentinel-1 Toolbox
PolSARpro		ENVI SARscape
GAMMA
AmplitudeL1, L1.5, GRD (Ground Range Detected)Focused (multilooked); reduced speckleCan be visualized. Contains amplitude values only. Retains slant-range geometry. Projected to ground range coordinates.ASF HyP3
Sentinel-1 Toolbox
ASF MapReady		ENVI SARscape
GAMMA
Corrected amplitudeGeoTIFFGIS-compatibleImage has had georeferencing applied.QGISArcGIS
Corrected amplitudeRadiometric Terrain Correction (RTC)GIS-compatibleImage has had radiometric and terrain correction applied.QGISArcGIS

ASF Datasets – Formats and Files

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    The following SAR dataset formats and files tables include technical information and possible usage of each dataset available through the ASF DAAC. Navigate quickly to the different dataset tables with the table of contents above.

    ALOS PALSAR

    FormatProduct NameProduct FilesProcessing LevelOpen-source ToolsCan Be Used For
    CEOSL1.0LED, IMG, VOL, TRLRawN/AProduction of higher-level products
    CEOSL1.1LED, IMG, VOL, TRLSingle Look ComplexSentinel-1 Toolbox, PolSARproInterferometry
    CEOSL1.5LED, IMG, VOL, TRLAmplitude imageMapReady, ASFView (part of MapReady), Sentinel-1 Toolbox, PolSARproVisualization

    ALOS PALSAR RTC

    FormatProduct NameProduct FilesProcessing LevelOpen-source ToolsCan Be Used For
    GeoTIFFHi-Res Terrain Correctedtif, jpg, xml, kmz, wldGeocoded AmplitudeQGIS, Graphics viewing softwareVisualization; GIS-compatible
    Low-Res Terrain Corrected

    Sentinel-1

    FormatProduct NameProduct FilesProcessing LevelOpen-source ToolsCan Be Used For
    SAFEL0tif, xml, xsd, kml, html, png, pdf, safeRawN/AProduction of higher-level products
    GeoTIFFL1 SLCSLCASF HyP3, Sentinel-1 Toolbox, PolSARproInterferometry
    L1 Detected High-Res Dual-PolL1 Georeferenced AmplitudeASF HyP3, Sentinel-1 ToolboxVisualization
    L1 Detected High-Res Single-PolASF HyP3, Sentinel-1 Toolbox
    L1 Detected Mid-Res Dual-PolASF HyP3, Sentinel-1 Toolbox, PolSARpro
    L1 Detected Mid-Res Single-PolASF HyP3, Sentinel-1 Toolbox
    NetCDFOCNnc, xsd , kml , html, png, pdf, safeL2Sentinel-1 Toolbox, PanoplyPolSARproOcean wind, wave and currents

    UAVSAR PolSAR

    FormatProduct NameProduct FilesProcessing LevelOpen-source ToolsCan Be Used For
    UAVSARGround Projected Complexgrd, annGeoreferenced AmplitudeMapReady, PolSARproVisualization
    Multi-Look Complexmic, annMLCPolarimetry
    Ground Projected Complex, 3X3grd, annGeoreferenced AmplitudeVisualization
    Ground Projected Complex, 5X5Visualization
    Compressed Stokes Matrixdat, annAIRSAR compressed stokes matrixPolarimetry
    GeoTIFFPauli DecompositiontifMLC polarimetric decompositionQGIS; graphics viewing softwareVisualization; GIS compatible
    GeoTIFF HeightDEMQGISDEM
    KMZGoogle Earth KMZkmzKML compressedGoogle EarthVisualization

    UAVSAR RPI

    FormatProduct NameProduct FilesProcessing LevelOpen-source ToolsCan Be Used For
    UAVSARAmplitudeamp1, amp2, annAmplitudeMapReady, PolSARproVisualization
    Ground Projected Amplitudeamp1.grd, amp2.grd, hgt.grd, annGeoreferenced Amplitude
    Interferogramint, unw, cor, annInterferogram
    Ground Projected Interferogramcor.grd, hgt.grd, int.grd, unw.grd, ann
    KMZGoogle Earth KMZamp1.kmz, amp2.kmz, cor.kmz, hgt.kmz, int.kmz, osr.kmz, unw.kmzGoogle Earth

    AIRSAR TOPSAR

    FormatProduct NameProduct FilesOpen-source ToolsCan Be Used For
    AIRSARC-band DEM and Compressed Stokes Matrixc.corgr, c.demi2, c.vvi2MapReady, PolSARproPolarimetry
    L-band Compressed Stokes Matrixl.datgr
    P-band Compressed Stokes Matrixp.datgrPolSARpro

    AIRSAR PolSAR - AIRSAR ATI (Experimental)

    FormatProduct NameProduct FilesProcessing LevelOpen-source ToolsCan Be Used For
    AIRSAR3-Frequency Polarimetryc.dat, l.dat, p.datCompressed stokes matrixMapReady, PolSARproPolarimetry
    JPGAlong-Track Interferometry*intf*, *uwScc*, *az*, *uwWrp*, *uwWcc*, *uwWrp, *par, *pppSLC, MLCN/AOcean current velocity measurement

    ERS-1, ERS-2, JERS-1, RADARSAT-1

    FormatProduct NameProduct FilesProcessing LevelOpen-source ToolsCan Be Used For
    CEOSL0D, L, P, kml, jpgRawN/AProduction of higher-level products
    L1AmplitudeMapReady, ASF View (part of MapReady), Sentinel-1 ToolboxVisualization

    Seasat

    FormatProduct NameProduct FilesProcessing LevelOpen-source ToolsCan Be Used For
    HDF5L1 HDF5h5, xml , kml , jpg, qc_reportAmplitudeMapReady, QGISVisualization; GIS-compatible
    GeoTIFFL1 GeoTIFFtif, xml, kml, jpg, qc_reportGeocoded amplitudeQGIS; graphics viewing software

    SMAP

    FormatProduct NameProduct FilesProcessing LevelOpen-source ToolsCan Be Used For
    HDF5L1A Radarh5, xmlL1AN/AProduction of higher-level products
    L1A Radar Receive Only (experimental)Passive radiometry
    L1B S0 LoResL1BPanoply, HDFViewSoil moisture / freeze-thaw state mapping
    L1C S0 HiResL1C

    Datasets Available from ASF DAAC

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      Unrestricted SAR Datasets

      These data are freely available and may be downloaded by anybody with an Earthdata Login username and password.

      Dataset NameSensor PlatformMission DatesFind DataUsage ExamplesSpatial Coverage
      ALOS PALSARSatellite2006 - 2011Vertex Data SearchASF Search APIBroad applications: glaciers, landslides, volcanoes, earthquakes, oil seeps, wetlands, sea ice, and more.The Americas, Antarctica, select wordwide sites
      SAR Sensor: L-band
      Repeat Cycle: 46 days
      Products: L1.0 raw, L1.1 single look complex (SLC), L1.5 Georeferenced amplitude image, Hi-res RTC image, Low-res RTC image
      Sentinel-1Satellite2014 - PresentVertex Data SearchASF Search APIBroad applications: volcanoes, earthquakes, glaciers, land subsidence, sea ice, flooding, oceans, and moreGlobal
      SAR Sensor: C-band
      Repeat Cycle: 12 days
      Products: L0 raw, L1 single look complex (SLC), L1 ground-range detected mid-res single-pol (GRD-MS), L1 ground-range detected high-res single-pol (GRD-HS), L1 ground-range detected mid-res dual-pol (GRD-MD), L1 ground-range detected high-res dual-pol (GRD-HD), L2 ocean (OCN)
      UAVSARAircraft2008 - PresentVertex Data SearchASF Search APISelect locations: oil spills, earthquakes, volcanoes, oceans, land cover, and moreTargeted worldwide sites
      SAR Sensor: L-band
      Repeat Cycle: Non-applicable
      Products: Single look complex (SLC), multi-look complex cross products, compress stokes matrix, ground-projected calibrated cross products, DEM
      ERS-1Satellite1991 - 1997Vertex Data SearchASF Search APIPolar regions and processes (sea ice, Arctic, Antarctic)Primarily polar, within station masks of the ASF and McMurdo ground stations
      SAR Sensor: C-band
      Repeat Cycle: 35 days
      Products: L0 raw, L1 amplitude image
      ERS-2Satellite1995 - 2011Vertex Data SearchASF Search APIPolar regions and processes (sea ice, Arctic, Antarctic)Primarily polar, within station masks of the ASF and McMurdo ground stations
      SAR Sensor: C-band
      Repeat Cycle: 35 days
      Products: L0 raw, L1 amplitude image
      AIRSARAircraft1990 - 2004Vertex Data SearchASF Search APISelect locations: oceans, coasts, forest ecology, geology, hydrology, earthquakes, archeaology, and moreSelected sites worldwide
      SAR Sensor: L-band, P-band, C-band
      Repeat Cycle: Non-applicable
      Products: Along-track interferometry, 3-frequency polarimetry, L-Band compressed stokes matrix, P-Band compressed stokes matrix, C-Band DEM and compressed stokes matrix
      SeasatSatellite1978Vertex Data SearchASF Search APIPortions of northern oceans and land (the first NASA SAR mission; data processed by ASF in 2013)Regions of Northern Hemisphere, including oceans and N. America
      SAR Sensor: L-band
      Repeat Cycle: 3 days at launch; 17 days after mid-August
      Products: L1 image, GeoTIFF
      SMAPSatellite2015 (3 months)Vertex Data SearchASF Search APISoil moisture and freeze/thaw state (detailed data from 3 months in 2015). Benchmark data for flood, landslide, and drought monitoring; agricultural planning; and climate forecastingGlobal
      SAR Sensor: L-band
      Repeat Cycle: 3 days
      Products: L1A_Radar, L1B_S0_LoRes, L1C_S0_HiRes, L1A receive only

      Restricted SAR Datasets

      Permission to access and download these data requires that a user meet the following conditions:

      • The data will be used for non-commercial, research purposes only
      • The user is currently living in the United States

      A Restricted Data Use Request form must be submitted.

      Dataset NameSensor PlatformMission DatesFind DataUsage ExamplesSpatial Coverage
      JERS-1Satellite1992 - 1988Vertex Data SearchASF Search APIImportant forests of the world: Southeast Asia, Africa, Central America, South America (Amazon Basin), and boreal North America.Global
      SAR Sensor: L-band
      Repeat Cycle: 44 days
      Products: L0 raw, L1 amplitude image
      RADARSAT-1Satellite1995 - 2008Vertex Data SearchASF Search APIArctic sea ice and other broad applications: volcanoes, ocean winds, ecology, soil moisture, wetlands, flooding, and more.Global
      SAR Sensor: C-band
      Repeat Cycle: 24 days
      Products: L0 raw, L1 amplitude image

      Derived SAR Datasets

      These higher-level datasets were created using ASF SAR data.

      Dataset NameSensor PlatformMission DatesFind DataUsage ExamplesSpatial Coverage
      Global Seasonal Sentinel-1 Interferometric Coherence and Backscatter DatasetSatellite2019-2020ASF WebsiteComposite of Sentinel-1 backscatter and coherence Earth imagery showing natural and human-caused changes that occur over one year.Global
      SAR Sensor: C-band
      Products: Tiles, mosaics, raster tables
      Sentinel-1 InterfergramsSatellite2014-presentASF VertexInterferograms produced using the ARIA Science Data System under development for the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission.Global
      SAR Sensor: C-band
      Products: Unwrapped phase, coherence, amplitude
      RAMP
      RADARSAT-1 Antarctic Mapping Mission
      		Satellite1997 and 2000ASF WebsiteHistoric, high-resolution map of Antarctica: ice-sheet morphology, rock outcrops, research infrastructure, coastline, and more.Antarctica
      SAR Sensor: C-band
      Products: Tiles, mosaics
      Post-RAMP Antarctic MosaicsSatellite2004 and 2007ASF WebsiteAntarctic ice sheets (emphasis on velocities): Drygalsky Ice Tongue (David Glacier), Thwaites Glacier, and Pine Island Glacier.Select Antarctic ice sheets
      SAR Sensor: C-band
      Products: SAR mosaics, glacier velocity files
      Sea Ice MEaSUREsSatellite1995 - 2012ASF WebsiteArctic Ocean sea ice motion with three-day radar snapshots as the ice goes through dramatic changes over 11 years.Arctic Ocean
      SAR Sensor: C-band
      Products: Lagrangian, 3-day gridded, and Eularian data files
      Terrestrial EcologySatellite2007 - 2010ASF WebsiteEcological research.Select sites in Western Hemisphere
      SAR Sensor: L-band
      Products: GeoTIFFimetric images
      Wetlands MEaSUREsSatellite1993 - 2009ASF WebsiteWetlands ecology, including their role in climate, biogeochemistry, hydrology, and biodiversity.Amazon, Alaska, the Americas, global (coarse resolution)
      SAR Sensor: L-band
      Products: Fine-resolution, 100-meter maps of wetland extent, vegetation type, and seasonal inundation dynamics for continental-scale areas covering crucial wetland regions; global, 10-day mappings of inundation extent at ~25-km resolution; interactive time-series tool and time-series animation; GeoTIFF

      Optical Datasets

      These data are freely available and may be downloaded by anybody with an Earthdata Login username and password.

      Dataset NameSensor PlatformMission DatesFind DataUsage ExamplesSpatial Coverage
      ALOS AVNIR-2 ORISatellite2006-2011Vertex Data SearchASF Search APISpatial coverage maps for land and coastal zones; monitoring regional environmentsGlobal
      Sensor: Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer
      Repeat Cycle: 46 days
      Products: 1B1 Ortho Rectified Image
      Image of the Earthdata website Login registration screen.

      Get an Account. Find Data.

      Step 1: Get an Earthdata Login Account

      A NASA Earthdata Login account is required for downloading data and tools from ASF. Registering for an account is free and may be done at the Earthdata Login registration site link below.

      Please note that the registration and EULA agreement process must be completed in English.

      Earthdata Login Registration Website
      Image of the Earthdata website Login registration screen.

      Step 2: Find Data

      An Earthdata Login username and password are required to download ASF data using Vertex Data Search and ASF Search API, or to download ASF Tools and Derived Datasets from the website.

        • All of the datasets and tools at ASF are free, and most are available to download without restriction.
        • Only the JERS-1 and RADARSAT-1 datasets are restricted. Access to these data requires the submission of a data access request form.

      Data Search Tools

      • Vertex Data Search is an easy-to-use, yet powerful interface for searching the ASF data archive. Search areas can be created by drawing on a map, entering coordinates, or importing a geospatial file. Searches can be done on a list of file names or by campaign. Filters can be applied to refine a search. And search results can be downloaded individually or in bulk.
      Vertex Data Search
      Screenshot of Vertex interface.
      • ASF Search API is a programmatic method of searching the ASF data archive from a browser window or command line interface. Search results can be saved and downloaded using Wget, cURL, or aria2.
      ASF Search API
      Screenshot of cammand line interface of the ASF Search API.
      • NASA Earthdata Search is a search interface that provides the ability to search all NASA Earth observation data holdings.
      NASA Earthdata Search
      Image of the NASA Earthdata search interface.

      Data Recipes (Tutorials)

      The Alaska Satellite Facility Data Recipes (Tutorials) library contains guides that show step-by-step how to create a variety of useful SAR data products. The recipes are organized in related sections. Click on a section title to expand the section.