SeaWiFS file
File type: Various data file
A .seawifs file is a Level 0 output file produced by the SeaWiFS frame formatter. It contains raw SeaWiFS spacecraft instrument data before higher-level processing.
The file belongs to the SeaWiFS project and is used with specialized SeaWiFS data-processing software.
File type category:
Various data file
Date updated: September 28, 2026
SeaWiFS, the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor, was a NASA ocean-colour imaging instrument. Its frame formatter assembled received spacecraft frames into Level 0 SeaWiFS files for subsequent processing.
Level 0 data are an early stage in the SeaWiFS processing chain and are not normally intended for direct viewing as images. SeaDAS and related SeaWiFS processing tools can use these files as input when generating higher-level products.
SeaWiFS data are historical, but the format remains relevant when working with archived mission data. It is primarily associated with specialist processing environments rather than general-purpose desktop software.
A .seawifs file normally requires specialist SeaWiFS processing software. Use SeaDAS or another compatible SeaWiFS data-processing installation to read the file and pass it to the appropriate Level 0 processing step.
General image viewers, text editors and office applications cannot display the file as a meaningful image because it contains instrument data rather than a conventional image.
The usual conversion is processing rather than direct format conversion: a compatible SeaWiFS processing system can use the Level 0 file to produce a higher-level SeaWiFS product, such as Level 1A data. The available output depends on the processing software and the accompanying mission data.
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