A new Geographical Mode Mask (v 4.0) will be operational from week 34 (19 to 26 August 2019) onwards. The mask is the basis of the CryoSat mission planning and defines the mode switching of the SIRAL instrument while the satellite revolves around the Earth.

This new map includes several new SAR areas which will be instrumental to support the future SWOT altimetric mission operations and data analysis, particularly in view of computing high resolution regional mean sea surface (MSS).

These areas of SAR acquisitions have been defined by the SWOT EU PI's and will be effective ~2 years prior the SWOT launch, in order to compute robust MSS from which can be removed seasonal effects. With respect to the previous version, the new SWOT areas are reported in yellow in the figure (overlapping the current 3.9 mask version in grey).

To allocate the new SAR areas, the current "SAR Pacific" Box will be removed after the 19 August (see red box in the figure).

Find out more and download the geographical mode mask.