Application of remotely sensed wind measurements to ocean surface wind analyses

The assimilation and validation of cross-calibrated, multisatellite ocean surface wind data is described. The principal data set covers the global ocean for the twenty-two year period from 1987 through 2009 with six-hour and 25-km resolution. This data set is produced by combining all ocean surface wind speed observations from SSM/I, AMSR-E, and TMI, and all ocean surface wind vector observations from QuikSCAT and SeaWinds. An enhanced variational analysis method (VAM) performs quality control and combines these data with available ship and buoy data and ECMWF analyses. The VAM analyses fit the data used very closely and contain small-scale structures not present in operational analyses. Comparisons with withheld observations are also shown to be very good. These data should be extremely useful to atmospheric and oceanic research, and to air-sea interaction studies.