(All L1/L2 products) Missing/Unpopulated dataset: `listOfObservationModes`

[nemo794]

Background

Per the product specification documents, each L1/L2 product should contain metadata in the identification group listing the observation modes used:

• RSLC/GSLC/GCOV:
  • /science/LSAR/identification/listOfObservationModes
• InSAR:
  • /science/LSAR/identification/referenceListOfObservationModes
  • /science/LSAR/identification/secondaryListOfObservationModes

Issue

As of ISCE3 v0.25.13 (for R05.01.6 i.e. R05.02.0):

1. RSLC omits this dataset
2. GSLC, GCOV, and InSAR products populate this dataset with [(NOT SPECIFIED)]

Discussion

Links to the original discussions:

• (internal) https://github-fn.jpl.nasa.gov/NISAR-ADT/NISAR_PIX/issues/278
• (internal) https://github-fn.jpl.nasa.gov/NISAR-ADT/NISAR_PIX/pull/293
• nisarqa's description of the metadata format, as of Aug 2025: https://github.com/isce-framework/nisarqa/blob/9093d7fe76a16d060545eda0559f6a9d967a0987/src/nisarqa/validate/sanity_checks.py#L569-L647

Fix

Step 1) focus.py needs to be updated to generate and populate the listOfObservationModes metadata field.
Step 2) Double-check that GSLC, GCOV, and InSAR products correctly parse this metadata and populate their HDF5 files.
- My understanding is that the downstream workflows are already coded to copy this metadata. However, need to double-check.

Related Issues

This Issue has been previously documented as part of these large, multi-part Issues:

• RSLC Metadata Discrepancies #202
• GSLC dataset and attribute issues #218
• GCOV dataset and attribute issues #216
• InSAR dataset and attribute issues #219

I'm in currently breaking apart those large, multi-part Issues into individual issues; this is for ease of tracking and implementation. Once that process is complete and the individual issues are active, then those multi-part issues will be closed.