Spaceborne Scatterometer and Scientific Applications

Just a few decades ago, almost all ocean wind measurements came from merchant ships; the sparcity of which over the global ocean is well known. Today, many citizens believe that operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) will give us all the wind information we need, until a hurricane suddenly intensifies and changes course, or the delay of monsoon brings drought, or the Pacific Trade Wind collapses before an El Nino. When prediction fails and disaster hits, then we remember that NWP depends on models which are limited by our knowledge of the physical processes and the availability of data. Spaceborne microwave scatterometers are the only proven instruments that will give us real measurements of ocean surface wind vector (both speed and direction) under clear and cloudy conditions, day and night. In this paper we will briefly describe satellite scatterometry and give an overview of some of the scientific applications