Giovanni-3 Operation Technical Summary: Swath Stitcher

Swath Stiitcher

The Swath Stitcher operation for G3 is used to stitch together multiple files of swath data. The operation takes a series of swaths as an input and creates a single output swath. The output values are the concatenation of the input swaths, in temporal order.

Input parameters:
Data in Satellite Swath Format
Input Order Numeration

Output Description: Single concatenated swath

Output Parameters: Same as input

File Type:
Input: HDF4
Output: HDF4

Sub-definitions:

• Swath: 1- or 2-dimensional data structure, typically representing an array of measurements distributed along the center pixel of a satellite track.
• Scan line: horizontal dimension of swath
• Vertical level (altitude or pressure): vertical dimension of swath
• Pixel: individual data element of the swath.

1. Each input swath is read from its input file.
2. The swaths are concantenated into a single long swath, in input order.
3. The stitched swath is then written to the output file, along with the corresponding time, longitude, latitude, and (if needed) pressure level data.
4. If the data consists of profile data, the profile at each pixel is written out.

Algorithm Details: IDL is used because which array-based operations may be performed easily in that language.

Caveats/Warnings: The vertical and horizontal dimensions for swaths described here are the transpose of the arrangement used in HDF4 files.

Origin/Software: Implemented in IDL.

Other Information: This document currently describes only the mathematical approach used in the computation.

This Technical Summary page is under development -- for information on this operation while
the document is being prepared, please send a message to GES DISC Help.