Subsetting AMSR-E Data and Products

The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) is a Japanese passive microwave radiometer flying aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. The AMSR-E is designed to observe and detect hydrologic and atmospheric geophysical parameters (e.g., precipitation, sea surface temperature, water vapor, sea ice, snow cover, etc.) in the Earth's environment. The AMSR-E Science Investigator-led Processing System (SIPS), located in Huntsville, Alabama, is the data center responsible for generating daily data products for the US AMSR-E science team and the global Earth science user community. In addition to generating standard daily data products, the AMSR-E SIPS supports field experiments and validation projects by subsetting product sets tailored to the needs of the individual scientist. AMSR-E standard data products are produced in HDF-EOS format, making them a perfect candidate for subsetting using the HEW Subsetting Engine developed by the Information Technology and Systems Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. This subsetting software, written for use with the HDF-EOS data format, is integrated into the SIPS processing system. The HEW Subsetting Engine has also been integrated into the data order filling systems at two EOS Distributed Active Archive Centers. HEW allows parametric, temporal, and geographic subsetting of both satellite swath and gridded data sets. The SIPS has generated near real time subsets for scientists involved in remote field experiments in the Arctic, Antarctic, and northern Canada. Subsetting more precisely fulfills the scientist's requirements, minimizes file transfer volumes, and reduces analysis time. A review of the components and features of the HEW Subsetting Engine software and how they are integrated into the SIPS is provided.