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Describes the programs and procedures to read radar altimetry data from CryoSat-2 provided by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Sync data with the ESA Cryosat dissemination server using esa_cryosat_sync.py.
https://earth.esa.int/web/guest/-/how-to-access-cryosat-data-6842
https://earth.esa.int/web/guest/-/products-overview-6975

read_cryosat_L2.py

Program to read Level-2 CryoSat data into a python environment.
The Level-2 data come as packed Payload Data System (PDS) files.
The file names use the following convention:
MM_CCCC_XXXXXXXXXX_yyyymmdd_hhmmss_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS__bvvv.ttt
MM is the Mission ID (CS for CryoSat-2)
CCCC is the file class (see File Class table)
XXXXXXXXXX is the file type (see File Type table)
yyyymmdd_hhmmss is the start date and time in UTC
YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS is the stop date and time in UTC
b is the baseline identifier
vvv is the version number of the file
ttt is the extension (HDR for Header and DBL for binary data)

File Class	Description
OFFL	Off Line Processing/Systematic
NRT_	Near Real Time
RPRO	Reprocessing
TEST	Testing
LTA_	Long Term Archive

File Type	Description
SIR_LRM_2_	L2 Product from Low Resolution Mode Processing
SIR_FDM_2_	L2 Product from Fast Delivery Marine Mode Processing
SIR_SIN_2_	L2 Product from SAR Interferometric Processing
SIR_SID_2_	L2 Product from SIN Degraded Processing
SIR_SAR_2A	L2 Product from SAR Step 1 Processing
SIR_SAR_2B	L2 Product from SAR Step 2 Processing
SIR_GDR_2A	L2 Consolidated Product in the second year of Mission
SIR_GDR_2B	L2 Consolidated Product in the third year of Mission
SIR_LRMI2_	Intermediate L2 Product from LRM Processing
SIR_SINI2_	Intermediate L2 Product from SIN Processing
SIR_SIDI2_	Intermediate L2 Product from SIN Degraded Process
SIR_SARI2A	Intermediate L2 Product from SAR Step 1 Processing
SIR_SARI2B	Intermediate L2 Product from SAR Step 2 Processing

read_cryosat_L2.py reads the CryoSat-2 PDS files and separates the input data into 3 subgroups:

• Data_1Hz: Time and Orbit Parameters plus the Measurement Mode
• Corrections: 1Hz geophysical corrections
• Data_20Hz: instrument derived measurements

Header information within the PDS files is saved into a subgroup named METADATA. The headers are separated into:

• MPH: Main Product Header
• SPH: Specific Product Header
• DSD: Data Set Descriptors