Improvement in spacebased scatterometers and increased scientific impact in the past decade

The past decade has seen continuous improvement to the coverage and resolution of ocean surface winds by spacebased microwave scatterometers. The principles of scatterometry and the characteristics of these sensors are summarized. Examples of scientific applications with these improvements are given. The high quality and resolution of scatterometer winds allow improved study of tropical atmospheric convergence zones, particularly a southern intertropical convergence zone in the Atlantic. Scatterometer data describe the wind jets out of Central America with sufficient detail to provide the forcing to simulate realistic coastal upwelling in an ocean general circulation model. QuikSCAT reveals for the first time an ultra long wake composed of alternate high and low wind streaks and lines of positive and negative curl of wind stress; they stretch a few thousand kilometres from the west side of the Hawaii Islands to beyond Wake Islands in the western Pacific. QuikSCAT also reveal the atmospheric manifestation of the westward-propagating tropical instability waves in the equatorial Pacific. Scatterometers are capable of monitoring not only the ocean winds, which feed moisture towards land, but the consequent flooding of the land. Flooding in Asia, resulting from monsoon and typhoons are described. The plan for future missions and proposed new technology is presented