A Novel Ku-Band Radiometer/Scatterometer Approach for Improved Oceanic Wind Vector Measurements

This paper presents a conceptual conical-scanning radiometer/scatterometer (RadScat) instrument design for the purpose of improving satellite ocean vector wind retrievals under rain-free conditions. This technique combines the wind vector signature in the passive linearly polarized ocean brightness temperatures with the anisotropic signature of multiazimuthal radar cross-sectional measurements to retrieve oceanic surface wind vectors. The performance of the RadScat is evaluated using a Monte Carlo simulation based on actual measurements from the SeaWinds scatterometer and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer onboard the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II. The results demonstrate significant improvements in wind vector retrievals, particularly in the near-subtrack swath, where the performance of conical-scanning scatterometers degrades.