Estimation of Time-Averaged Surface Divergence and Vorticity from Satellite Ocean Vector Winds

Improved Real-Time Hurricane Ocean Vector Winds from QuikSCAT

Long-term Variability of Ocean Surface Winds

Just a few decades ago, almost all ocean wind measurements came from merchant ships. However, the quality and geographical distribution of these wind reports were uneven. The quality of historical wind-stress have been well investigated [e.g., Cardone et al., 1990; Trenberth, et al, 1990; Kent et al., 1999]. Today, operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) also gives us wind information, b...

Vorticity and Divergence of Surface Velocities Near Shore

The nearshore environment is complex, with many competing dynamical elements. Surface waves and edge waves (a form of surface wave trapped to the shore) can generally be separated from other forms of motion because of their fast propagation speeds. However, other motions such as internal waves, shear waves, density flows, and isolated vortex pairs can move at comparable speeds. A tool to help s...

Challenges to Satellite Sensors of Ocean Winds: Addressing Precipitation Effects

Measurements of global ocean surface winds made by orbiting satellite radars have provided valuable information to the oceanographic and meteorological communities since the launch of the Seasat in 1978, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). When Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) was launched in 1999, it ushered in a new era of dual-polarized, pencil-beam, higher-resolution ...

The Operational Use of QuikSCAT Ocean Surface Vector Winds at the National Hurricane Center

The utility and shortcomings of near-real-time ocean surface vector wind retrievals from the NASA Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) in operational forecast and analysis activities at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) are described. The use of QuikSCAT data in tropical cyclone (TC) analysis and forecasting for center location/identification, intensity (maximum sustained wind) estimation, and anal...