Statistical problems of wind-generated gravity waves arising in microwave remote sensing of surface winds

Author

Glazman, Roman E.

Author_Institution

Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA, USA

Volume

29

Issue

1

fYear

1991

fDate

1/1/1991 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

135

Lastpage

142

Abstract

The basic geometric features of a developed sea surface affecting the accuracy of wind speed measurements by satellite instruments are reviewed. Based on Seasat scatterometer, Geosat altimeter, and DMSP-SSM/I (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Special Sensor Microwave/Imager) observations collocated with buoy data, error trends in the satellite winds are shown to be correlated with various measures of wave development. These trends are explained by examining the RMS wave slope of energy-containing waves which, directly or indirectly, affects all microwave techniques. Statistics of temporal-spatial rates of steep and breaking waves (affecting the scatterometer and radiometer measurements) are derived and compared with field observations

Keywords

atmospheric techniques; gravity waves; ocean waves; radar cross-sections; remote sensing by radar; satellite links; wind; DMSP-SSM/I; Geosat altimeter; RCS; Seasat scatterometer; breaking waves; buoy data; microwave remote sensing; microwave techniques; radar; radiometer measurements; satellite instruments; sea surface; steep waves; surface winds; wave development; wind speed measurements; wind-generated gravity waves; Gravity; Image sensors; Instruments; Meteorology; Radar measurements; Satellite broadcasting; Sea measurements; Sea surface; Velocity measurement; Wind speed;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0196-2892

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/36.103303

Filename

103303