RADARSAT mapping of BORA/SIROCCO winds in the Adriatic Sea

We examine the spatial variability of the wind/roughness fields over the Adriatic Sea during BORA/SIROCCO wind events using RADARSAT synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, QUICKSCAT scatterometer wind measurements, and simulations derived from high-resolution atmospheric Limited Area Model Italy (LAMI) and Coupled Ocean/Atmospheric Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS). BORA winds are manifested in SAR imagery as jet-like structures exhibiting intense roughness modulations along the eastern coast. SIROCCO winds produce more uniform roughness signatures and extend over the southern Adriatic. On the basis of comparisons with the SAR imagery, the atmospheric models are able to replicate the gross morphological structures of the wind field. However, higher resolution models are required for simulating more local orographic effects.